Death of a Friend
by Boredsowritting01
Summary: (Post started 04/1) Someone has kidnapped the group, three years before Rose is on Lissa's Royal Guard and Lissa is Queen. Someone wanted the 14 & 15 year old to know their futures in order to help or save them, they don't know. Reading all six books about their future lives with family and people that get involved can be stressful, how can they survive? [(Hopefully) updated daily]
1. Author's Note

I hate when people add author's note... though i do do it sometimes i try to stay away from it.

But there it good reason for this... I'm posting Reading Vampire Academy... The FF/ whatever you wanna call it is called 'The Beginning of Secrets' basically Abe, Janine (Rose's mom), Adrian, Jill, Eddie, Christian, Lissa, Rose, and Dimitri all get kidnapped and forced to read VA. Set just after Frostbite.

_P.S_ It might get confusing for when i do Frostbite, Shadow Kiss, Blood Promise, Spirit Bound, and Last Sacrifice because the plot changes, just know everything will be explained when you finish everything... I thought about the time limit, each month a new book so i'll be updating daily. Or until the FF people say that i am breaking some rule... (Most are afraid of that)

**March= Vampire Academy**

**April= Frostbite**

**May= Shadow Kiss**

**June= Blood Promise**

**July= Spirit Bound**

**August= Last Sacrifice**


	2. Reading Prolog

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy: Frostbite.**

Recap, New Note, and Reading the Prologue

_It has_ been a week; we had just finished the first book label 'Vampire Academy'. It was supposedly about my future life, I was seventeen in the books. When we finished it a voice had come on and told us about the books a woman named '_Richelle Mead_' had written them, but she thought they were fictional as the kidnapper wrote it for her. The kidnapper had 'rewarded' everyone for finishing the books. Not everyone had known each other before this all started and according to the first note, that was label '_Read Aloud, Rose'_:

_Hello Rosemarie Hathaway,_

_These books are about your life, in the future, Rose. You may not believe me, what you'll come to realize they are, in fact, true. The following people should be in the room with you; Eric Dragomir, Rhea Dragomir, Andre Dragomir, Vasilisa Dragomir, Jillian Mastrano, Janine Hathaway, Ibrahim Mazur, Mason Ashford, Eddie Castile, Adrian Ivashkov, Mia Rinaldi, Christian Ozera, Ivan Zeklos, and Dimitri Belikov._

_There are two bedrooms to the left of the room, one with a pink door and one with a light blue. The following people with be in the room with the light blue door, and please no switching. Eric Dragomir, Rhea Dragomir, Andre Dragomir, Lissa Dragomir, Rose Hathaway, Christian Ozera, Mason Ashford, Eddie Castile. While the others will be in the pink covered door._

_I have also arranged the seating. Eric and Rhea Dragomir will be seated at a pale green sofa. I have arranged beanbag chairs for the kids eighteen and younger to sit in. Christian Ozera you will have the grey beanbag and sitting to the right of the pale green sofa. Next to, you in the yellow beanbag will be Lissa Dragomir, then in the blue beanbag Rose. In the dark orange bean bag next to Rose will be Mason Ashford, while Eddie Castile will be in the lighter blue beanbag. Andre Dragomir will be placed to the left of the pale green sofa in the blue-grey beanbag, then Adrian Ivashkov in the bright green. Jill Mastrano is next in the dark red and in the bright pink beanbag is Mia Rinaldi. Janine Hathaway and Abe Mazur will be placed in the dark blue sofa, and in the bright blue sofa will be Dimitri Belikov and Ivan Zeklos. The other beanbags and sofas are reserved for later visitors._

_To the right of this room is where the kitchen is located inside has also room the feeders' room. Rose, there is an arrow pointing to where the side of the closet and bathroom is located. The bathroom has everything a person would need to maintain hygiene. The closet has extra pillows and blankets along with the beanbags chair I have mentioned._

_Oh and before I forget. Everyone in this room will know or knows the other. In addition, Rose… your father, Ibrahim Mazur, is in the room. Mr. Mazur, I hope reading these will help start a relationship with your daughter faster and you'll hear what you've have missed most of her life without getting second hand information. Good luck to you Mr. Mazur, as your daughter will be and is just like you in many ways. _

_Read on with the book and just so you know, I am watching. _

Finding out like that didn't really do anything for me. I had stared at the note, reading _your father, Ibrahim Mazur, is in the room_ and _without getting second hand information_. Had he really paid attention to most of my life? He actually cared? And why didn't my mother at least tell me his name? I knew from some older guardians, that when my mother was younger she was well, _available, _and simply did not know who or which person it was. But she actually knew?! I did not know what to feel at that moment, and not to mention that there are six books that were supposedly about my life. The more we've read the first book, the more I had come with terms that I might actually start knowing my father and that Lissa brother and parents are dead in them. That had become a shock to them, along with Ivan when he found out about his death.

We had not understood why they were actually here if they were dead. But I knew the Dragomirs were happy, or well as happy as you could be, when you find out a family friend wants to hurt your daughter. It was nice to know that know to prevent it in the future. Not to mention, we learned by Dimitri becoming my mentor we were to fall in love. Not to mention, that I had also died but Lissa will save me, and only me after the car wreck we have no idea when we going to happen, we just knew it was this year.

No one could also figure out why Adrian Ivashkov was here. He was not in the first book, not even mentioned. And who was the other two sofas and two bean bags chairs were for?

_**-Death of a Friend-**_

We all decided it was time to begin the next book, called Frostbite. But when I opened the book, which was requested that I read first at the beginning of each one, by the creepy person keeping us here. A note had fallen out:

_Hello Rose, _

_I am happy to see that you are finally on the second book. I will warn you now, Rose. It will be very emotional for you or at least future you. Issues like Jealous, Fake Love, Death, Anger, Sadness, and not to mention maternal problems show up. I hope you are ready for this one, because I know you are not ready at this moment for these problems. _

_Please continue with the book, and remember I am watching. _

"Yes, because these notes and books can't get any creepier." Mia said rolling her eyes.

"I am wondering how she is able to see us." Andre glanced around the room. Once I we had learned we were being watched, the Guardians- meaning my mother and Dimitri- had searched every single inch of the place. "We can't find the cameras."

"Maybe she wants to see us paranoid." I shrugged. "Anyways, can I begin? I want to know what the hell the note was taking about." Everyone nods and I took a breath.

**PROLOGUE**

**Things Die. But they don't always stay dead. Believe me, I know. **

"Only because you die- er died." Andre mumbled, ignoring him.

**There's a race of vampires on this earth who are literally the walking dead. They're called Strigoi, and if you're not already having nightmares about them, you should be. They're strong, they're fast, and they kill without mercy or hesitation. They're immortal, too-which kind of makes them a bitch to destroy. There are only three ways to do it: a silver stake through the heart, decapitation, and setting them on fire. **

"Do we have to go through this every time?" Mia whined. "We know all these."

"Having it repeated to get it through your minds," my mother began. "Is a good thing. Maybe you want make a mistake." She looked at me, when she told me.

"Yes, I know." I rolled my eyes. "Figured it out, when Natalie was throwing me around and nearly kills me."

**None of those is easy to pull off, but it's better than having no options at all. **

True. The guardians, and some Moroi, in the room nod in agreement.

**There are also good vampires walking the world. They're called Moroi. They're alive, and they possess the incredibly cool power to wield magic in each of the four elements-earth, air, water, and fire. (Well, most Moroi can do this-but I'll explain more about the exceptions later). They don't really use the magic for much anymore, which is kind of sad. **

"It is." Ivan said in agreement. I still have not figured out what his element was.

**It'd be a great weapon, but the Moroi strongly believe magic should only be used peacefully. **

"I don't." Christian said, sounding very confident. Ever since Lissa and he, along with everyone else, found out, they would be dating. We have-they- started talking to each other a little more. Well Mr. and Mrs. Dragomir were nice to Christian from the beginning and I keep forgetting they do not really judge a person until they meet them. However, they did become even nicer when they learned about him becoming her boyfriend.

**It's one of the biggest rules in their society. **

"That should be changed." Ivan and Christian said at the same time. Ivan smirked at Christian but said nothing else.

**Moroi are also usually tall and slim, and they can't handle a lot of sunlight. But they do have superhuman senses that make up for it: sight, smell, and hearing. Both kinds of vampires need blood. That's what makes them vampires, I guess. **

**Moroi don't kill to take it, however. Instead, they keep humans around who willingly donate small amounts. They volunteer because vampire bites contain endorphins that feel really, really good and can become addictive. I know this from personal experience. **

"And you shouldn't."

I sighed to myself. Great, just as I thought I was finally getting away from the talk about being addicted to bites in the books.

**These humans are called feeders and are essentially vampire-bite junkies. **

**Still, keeping feeders around is better than the way the Strigoi do things, because, as you might expect, they kill for their blood. I think they like it. If a Moroi kills a victim while drinking, he or she will turn into a Strigoi. Some Moroi do this by choice, giving up their magic and their morals for immortality. **

Christian flinched slightly. Lissa patted his arm, showing support I guess.

**Strigoi can also be created by force. If a Strigoi drinks blood from a victim and then makes that person drink Strigoi blood in return, well... You get a new Strigoi. This can happen to anyone: Moroi, human, or ... Dhampir. **

"Let me guess," Adrian began. "Now you're going to explain what Dhampirs are."

**Dhampir. **

**That's what I am. Dhampirs are half-human, half-Moroi. I like to think we got the best traits of both races. I'm strong and sturdy, like humans are. I can also go out in the sun as much as I want. But, like the Moroi, I have really good senses and fast reflexes. The result is that dhampirs make the ultimate bodyguards-which is what most of us are. We're called guardians. **

"We're," My mom motioned between Dimitri and her. "Guardians. You're still a Novice." Dimitri said nothing to this.

**I've spent my entire life training to protect Moroi from Strigoi. I have a whole set of special classes and practices I take at St. Vladimir's Academy, a private school for Moroi and dhampirs. I know how to use all sorts of weapons and can land some pretty mean kicks. I've beaten up guys twice my size-both in and out of class. **

"Don't forget girls." Mia said, holding her nose as if I had already punched and broken her nose. I smiled.

**And really, guys are pretty much the only ones I beat up, since there are very few girls in any of my classes. Because while dhampirs inherit all sorts of great traits, there's one thing we didn't get. Dhampirs can't have children with other dhampirs. Don't ask me why. It's not like I'm a geneticist or anything. **

Mason turned his body to me, looking at me up and down. I looked at him. "Yes?"

"Even if you were, I still cannot imagine it." I rolled my eyes as he laughs.

**Humans and Moroi getting together will always make more dhampirs; that's where we came from in the first place. But that doesn't happen so much anymore; Moroi tend to stay away from humans. Through another weird genetic fluke, however, Moroi and dhampirs mixing will create dhampir children. I know, I know: it's crazy. You'd think you'd get a baby that's three-quarters vampire, right? Nope. Half human, half Moroi. **

**Most of these dhampirs are born from Moroi men and dhampir women getting together. Moroi women stick to having Moroi babies. **

"Not all Moroi women." Ivan piped in.

**What this usually means is that Moroi men have flings with dhampir women and then take off. This leaves a lot of single dhampir mothers, and that's why not as many of them become guardians. They'd rather focus on raising their children. **

Like Dimitri's mother had.

**As a result, only the guys and a handful of girls are left to become guardians. But those who choose to protect Moroi are serious about their jobs. Dhampirs need Moroi to keep having kids. We have to protect them. Plus, it's just... Well, it's the honorable thing to do. Strigoi are evil and unnatural. It isn't right for them to prey on the innocent. Dhampirs who train to be guardians have this drilled into them from the time they can walk. Strigoi are evil. Moroi must be protected. Guardians believe this. **

**I believe this. **

Once again all the guardians in the room, nod in agreement.

**And there's one Moroi I want to protect more than anyone in the world: my best friend, Lissa. **

Lissa and her family smiled at me, when I looked up to smile at Lissa.

**She's a Moroi princess. The Moroi have twelve royal families, and she's the only one left in hers-the Dragomirs. **

Lissa sighed. "That's so weird to hear."

**But there's something else that makes Lissa special, aside from her being my best friend. **

**Remember when I said every Moroi wields one of the four elements? Well, it turns out Lissa wields one no one even knew existed until recently: spirit. For years, we thought she just wasn't going to develop her magical abilities. Then strange things started happening around her. For example, all vampires have an ability called compulsion that lets them force their will on others. Strigoi have it really strongly. It's weaker in Moroi, and it's also forbidden. **

"But it won't stop you girls from using it." Our mother's murmured, while are Father's smiled at us.

**Lissa, however, has it almost as much as a Strigoi. She can bat her eyelashes, and people will do what she wants. But that's not even the coolest thing she can do. **

**I said earlier that dead things don't always stay dead. Well, I'm one of them. Don't worry-I'm not like the Strigoi. But I did die once. (I don't recommend it.) **

Everyone chuckled at the small joke.

**It happened when the car I was riding in slid off the road. The accident killed me, Lissa's parents, and her brother. Yet, somewhere in the chaos-without even realizing it-Lissa used spirit to bring me back. We didn't know about this for a long time. In fact, we didn't even know spirit existed at all. **

**Unfortunately, it turned out that one person did know about spirit before we did. Victor Dashkov, **

"I'll be dealing with him, when we get out of here." Lissa's father said, clearly still mad about the part of having his daughter tortured.

**A dying Moroi prince, found out about Lissa's powers and decided he wanted to lock her up and make her his own personal healer-for the rest of her life. When I realized someone was stalking her, I decided to take matters into my own hands. **

"You should've told someone." My mother shook her head.

"It's fix or will be fixed." I pointed out to her.

**I broke us out of school to run off and live among humans. It was fun-but also kind of nerve-wracking-to always be on the run. We got away with this for two years until the authorities at St. Vladimir's hunted us down and dragged us back a few months ago. **

**That was when Victor made his real move, kidnapping her and torturing her until she gave into his demands. In the process, he took some pretty extreme measures-like zapping me and Dimitri, my mentor, with a lust spell. **

"Can't believe he is that sick." Andre said looking discussed at the book.

**(I'll get to him later). Victor also exploited the way spirit was starting to make Lissa mentally unstable. But even that wasn't as bad as what he did to his own daughter Natalie. He went so far as to encourage her to turn into a Strigoi to help cover his escape. She ended up getting staked. Even when captured after the fact, Victor didn't seem to display too much guilt over what he'd asked her to do. Makes me think I wasn't missing out on growing up without a father. **

**Still, I now have to protect Lissa from Strigoi and Moroi. Only a few officials know about what she can do, but I'm sure there are other Victors out there who would want to use her. Fortunately, I have an extra weapon to help me guard her. **

"The bond," Rhea sighed. "We need to look for information about it."

**Somewhere during my healing in the car accident, spirit forged a psychic bond between her and me. I can see and feel what she experiences. (It only works one way, though. She can't "feel" me. ) The bond helps me keep an eye on her and know when she's in trouble, although sometimes, it's weird having another person inside your head. We're pretty sure there are lots of other things spirit can do, but we don't know what they are yet. **

"We'll find that out too." Eric told his daughter.

**In the meantime, I'm trying to be the best guardian I can be. Running away put me behind in my training, so I have to take extra classes to make up for lost time. There's nothing in the world I want more than to keep Lissa safe. Unfortunately, I've got two things that complicate my training now and then. One is that I sometimes act before I think. I'm getting better at avoiding this, but when something sets me off, I tend to punch first and then find out who I actually hit later. **

"She's diffidently my daughter." Abe said aloud, which received him a small hit from mom.

"Do not encourage her in any way shape or form."

"Of course, Jane." Everyone looked at my parents for a moment, then turned their attention back to me. It was somewhat weird, seeing my parents fight over me doing, wrong versus right.

**When it comes to those I care about being in danger... Well, rules seem optional. **

**The other problem in my life is Dimitri. **

"How am _I _a problem?" Dimitri asked the book.

"Man, you do realize you just asked a book a question?" Ivan glanced at Dimitri.

"It seems to have the answer, yes." Ivan rolled his eyes at him.

**He's the one who killed Natalie, and he's a total badass. He's also pretty good-looking. Okay-more than good-looking. He's hot-like, the kind of hot that makes you stop walking on the street and get hit by traffic. **

I giggled, when I saw almost every female in the room nod in agreement. The men –somewhat boyfriends and husbands - looked slightly annoyed by the act. Dimitri looked uncomfortable and I could not blame him. Even if we never personality talked to each other, I knew that he was not use to attention like this.

**But, like I said, he's my instructor. And he's twenty-four. Both of those are reasons why I shouldn't have fallen for him. But, honestly, the most important reason is that he and I will be Lissa's guardians when she graduates. If he and I are checking each other out, then that means we aren't looking out for her. **

"You two shouldn't put your feelings aside, in order to keep me safe." Lissa sighed. "I don't want to keep anybody apart."

"Seeing as this," I waved the book in my hands, while motioning to the others. "Hasn't happened yet, you don't have anything to worry about."

**I haven't had much luck in getting over him, and I'm pretty sure he still feels the same about me. Part of what makes it so difficult is that he and I got pretty hot and heavy when we got hit with the lust spell. Victor had wanted to distract us while he kidnapped Lissa, and it had worked. I'd been ready to give up my virginity, and Dimitri had been ready to take it. **

"Still can't believe you're a virgin." Mia said.

"Jesus, this was a book ago we went over this, Mia." I told her.

"Still." I sighed and turned back to the book in my hands.

**At the last minute, we broke the spell, but those memories are always with me and make it kind of hard to focus on combat moves sometimes. **

**By the way, my name's Rose Hathaway. I'm seventeen years old, training to protect and kill vampires, in love with a completely unsuitable guy, and have a best friend whose weird magic could drive her crazy. **

**Hey, no one said high school was easy.**

"Finally," I passed the book to Mason. "End of prologue."

Mason sighed and turned to the next page. "Chapter 1"


	3. Reading chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy: Frostbite.**

Reading Chapter 1

_**Chapter One.**_

Mason sighed.

**I didn't think my day could get any worse until my best friend told me she might be going crazy. Again. "I...What did you say?"**

"Always worried." Lissa said.

"Of course." I told her.

**I stood in the lobby of her dorm, leaning over one of my boots and adjusting it. Jerking my head up, I peered at her through the tangle of dark hair covering half my face. I'd fallen asleep after school and had skipped using a hairbrush in order to make it out the door on time. Lissa's platinum blond hair was smooth and perfect, of course, hanging over her shoulders like a bridal veil as she watched me with amusement. **

"You do that a lot." I pointed it out to her.

**"I said that I think my pills might not be working as well anymore."**

"That's not good." Rhea mumbled, looking concerned for her daughter.

**I straightened up and shook the hair out of my face. "What does that mean?" I asked. Around us, Moroi hurried past, on their way to meet friends or go to dinner. **

**"Have you started..." I lowered my voice. "Have you started getting your powers back?"**

**She shook her head, and I saw a small flash of regret in her eyes. "No**

"Thank god." Her mother leaned on Eric, who wrapped an arm around her, squeezing her tight.

**I feel closer to the magic, but I still can't use it. Mostly what I'm noticing lately is a little of the other stuff, you know...I'm getting more depressed now and then. Nothing even close to what it used to be," she added hastily, seeing my face. Before she'd gone on her pills, Lissa's moods could get so low that she cut herself. **

When her parents had heard about that in the first book, they went on a riot. Having talk after talk about cutting and how they wouldn't want that and it wasn't safe and all of these other things that could happen if she even started and not tell anyone. Let just say that everyone got tired of it and we all promised to watch her, after they had repeated it every time she had cut herself in the book.

**"It's just there a little more than it was."**

**"What about the other things you used to get? Anxiety? Delusional thinking?"**

**Lissa laughed, not taking any of this as seriously as I was. "You sound like you've been reading psychiatry textbooks."**

**I actually had been reading them. **

"Great." Liss said sarcastically. Everyone chuckled.

**"I'm just worried about you. If you think the pills aren't working anymore, we need to tell someone."**

**"No, no," she said hastily. "I'm fine, really. They're still working... Just not quite as much. I don't think we should panic yet. Especially you-not today, at least."**

"Why not?" Jill questioned.

**Her change in subject worked. I'd found out an hour ago that I would be taking my Qualifier today. It was an exam-or rather, an interview-all novice guardians were required to pass during junior year at St. Vladimir's Academy. Since I'd been off hiding Lissa last year, I'd missed mine. Today I was being taken to a guardian somewhere off-campus who would administer the test to me. Thanks for the notice, guys. **

"You shouldn't have left." Mom told book Rose.

**"Don't worry about me," Lissa repeated, smiling. "I'll let you know if it gets worse."**

**"Okay," I said reluctantly. **

**Just to be safe, though, I opened my senses and allowed myself to truly feel her through our psychic bond. She had been telling the truth. She was calm and happy this morning, nothing to worry about. But, far back in her mind, I sensed a knot of dark, uneasy feelings. **

Eric and Rhea furrowed their eyebrows out of worry. Their worry had not really gone away since they found out they are dead.

**It wasn't consuming her or anything, but it had the same feel as the bouts of depression and anger she used to get. It was only a trickle, but I didn't like it. I didn't want it there at all. I tried pushing farther inside her to get a better feel for the emotions and suddenly had the weird experience of touching. A sickening sort of feeling seized me, and I jerked out of her head. A small shudder ran through my body. **

"What was that?" I questioned, though I knew no one had the answer.

**"You okay?" Lissa asked, frowning. "You look nauseous all of a sudden."**

**"Just... Nervous for the test," I lied. **

"Rose." Lissa whined.

"What?"

"Don't lie."

**Hesitantly, I reached out through the bond again. The darkness had completely disappeared. No trace. **

"Hm." A couple of people in the room said in wonder.

**Maybe there was nothing wrong with her pills after all. "I'm fine."**

**She pointed at a clock. "You won't be if you don't get moving soon."**

"Let me guess," Eddie began. "You're late."

**"Damn it," I swore. She was right. I gave her a quick hug. "See you later!"**

**"Good luck!" she called. **

**I hurried off across campus and found my mentor, Dimitri Belikov, waiting beside a Honda Pilot. How boring. I supposed I couldn't have expected us to navigate Montana mountain roads in a Porsche, but it would have been nice to have something cooler. **

**"I know, I know," I said, seeing his face. "Sorry I'm late."**

"Called it!" Eddie smiled at me and I slightly laughed at him.

**I remembered then that I had one of the most important tests of my life coming up, and suddenly, I forgot all about Lissa and her pills possibly not working. I wanted to protect her, but that wouldn't mean much if I couldn't pass high school and actually become her guardian. **

**Dimitri stood there, looking as gorgeous as ever. **

This time Dimitri and I both blushed. While my parents narrowed their eyes, clearly not liking this future relationship, or at least how fast it start and when.

**The massive, brick building cast long shadows over us, looming like some great beast in the dusky predawn light. Around us, snow was just beginning to fall. I watched the light, crystalline flakes drift gently down. Several landed and promptly melted in his dark hair. **

**"Who else is going?" I asked. **

**He shrugged. "Just you and me."**

**My mood promptly shot up past "cheerful" and went straight to "ecstatic." Me and Dimitri. Alone. In a car. This might very well be worth a surprise test. **

**"How far away is it?" Silently, I begged for it to be a really long drive.**

**Like, one that would take a week. And would involve us staying overnight in luxury hotels. Maybe we'd get stranded in a snowbank, and only body heat would keep us alive. **

**"Five hours."**

**"Oh."**

**A bit less than I'd hoped for. Still, five hours was better than nothing. It didn't rule out the snowbank possibility, either. **

"Oh god." I moaned and covered my face with my hands, to hide my deep red _blushing _cheeks. All I could think of was that I do not blush.

**The dim, snowy roads would have been difficult for humans to navigate, but they proved no problem for our dhampir eyes. I stared ahead, trying not to think about how Dimitri's aftershave filled the car with a clean, sharp scent that made me want to melt. Instead, I tried to focus on the Qualifier again. **

**It wasn't the kind of thing you could study for. **

Dimitri and my mother shook their heads, in agreement.

**You either passed it or you didn't. **

They also both nod their heads, in agreement.

**High-up guardians visited novices during their junior year and met individually to discuss students' commitment to being guardians. I didn't know exactly what was asked, but rumors had trickled down over the years. The older guardians assessed character and dedication, and some novices had been deemed unfit to continue down the guardian path. **

This time neither one of them agreed nor disagreed with what was said. Not giving off anything that could help us 'cheat'.

"**Don't they usually come to the Academy?" I asked Dimitri. "I mean, I'm all for the field trip, but why are we going to them?"**

**"Actually, you're just going to a him, not a them." A light Russian accent laced Dimitri's words, the only indication of where he'd grown up. Otherwise, I was pretty sure he spoke English better than I did. **

Ivan laughed at this.

**"Since this is a special case and he's doing us the favor, we're the ones making the trip."**

**"Who is he?"**

**"Arthur Schoenberg." I jerked my gaze from the road to Dimitri. **

Mason froze at this as well. I looked wide-eyed at the book along with everyone in the room. On the other hand, I think, everyone else in the room. Mason cleared his voice.

**"What?" I squeaked. **

**Arthur Schoenberg was a legend. **

"No shit." Andre said. The language did not go past his mother, who gave him a warning look.

**He was one of the greatest Strigoi slayers in living guardian history and used to be the head of the Guardians Council-the group of people who assigned guardians to Moroi and made decisions for all of us. He'd eventually retired and gone back to protecting one of the royal families, the Badicas. Even retired, I knew he was still lethal. His exploits were part of my curriculum.**

**"Wasn't...Wasn't there anyone else available?" I asked in a small voice. **

**I could see Dimitri hiding a smile. "You'll be fine. Besides, if Art approves of you, that's a great recommendation to have on your record. "**

**Art. Dimitri was on a first-name basis with one of the most badass guardians around. **

"I actually haven't met him yet." Dimitri told us.

**Of course, Dimitri was pretty badass himself, so I shouldn't have been surprised. **

**Silence fell in the car. I bit my lip, suddenly wondering if I'd be able to meet Arthur Schoenberg's standards. My grades were good, but things like running away and getting into fights at school might cast a shadow on how serious I was about my future career. **

**"You'll be fine," Dimitri repeated. "The good in your record outweighs the bad." **

**It was like he could read my mind sometimes. I smiled a little and dared to peek at him. It was a mistake. A long, lean body, obvious even while sitting. Bottomless dark eyes. Shoulder-length brown hair tied back at his neck. That hair felt like silk. **

"There she goes again." Mia sighed, waving her arm towards the book. I sighed, I guess I had better get use to me talking, well thinking about how hot he was. His hotness did not go unnoticed when I first saw him.

**I knew because I'd run my fingers through it when Victor Dashkov had ensnared us with the lust charm. With great restraint, I forced myself to start breathing again and look away. **

**"Thanks, Coach," I teased, snuggling back into the seat. **

**"I'm here to help," he replied. His voice was light and relaxed-rare for him. He was usually wound up tightly, ready for any attack. Probably he figured he was safe inside a Honda-or at least as safe as he could be around me. I wasn't the only one who had trouble ignoring the romantic tension between us. **

**"You know what would really help?" I asked, not meeting his eyes. **

**"Hmm?"**

"If he is driving, he is listening to music." Ivan tried to figure it out. "And seeing as in the, um, past book, you teased him about. I say it's about his choice in music."

**"If you turned off this crap music and put on something that came out after the Berlin Wall went down."**

"It is not that bad." Dimitri defended himself. Ivan and I laughed. "Oh it is." We said at the same time.

**Dimitri laughed. "Your worst class is history, yet somehow, you know everything about Eastern Europe."**

**"Hey, gotta have material for my jokes, Comrade."**

**Still smiling, he turned the radio dial. **

"To a country station." Ivan said looking at the book, guessing. We have discovered, Ivan and I were somewhat a like, well at least future me.

**To a country station. **

Ivan smiled.

**"Hey! This isn't what I had in mind," I exclaimed. **

**I could tell he was on the verge of laughing again. **

"He seems to be laughing easier around you." Ivan thought about this. "Well more than what is normal."

**"Pick. It's one or the other. "**

**I sighed. "Go back to the 1980's stuff."**

**He flipped the dial, and I crossed my arms over my chest as some vaguely European-sounding band sang about how video had killed the radio star. **

**I wished someone would kill this radio. **

Adrian and a few others chuckled at my choice of wording.

**Suddenly, five hours didn't seem as short as I'd thought. **

**Arthur and the family he protected lived in a small town along I-90, not far from Billings. The general Moroi opinion was split on places to live. Some argued that big cities were the best since they allowed vampires to be lost in the crowds; nocturnal activities didn't raise so much attention. Other Moroi, like this family, apparently, opted for less populated towns, believing that if there were fewer people to notice you, then you were less likely to be noticed. **

"True." I had no idea who had said that but people agreed with it.

**I'd convinced Dimitri to stop for food at a twenty-four-hour diner along the way,**

"Of course, you couldn't go without stopping for food." Mason smiled at me. While I did the childish thing, and stuck my tongue out at him.

**and between that and stopping to buy gas, it was around noon when we arrived. The house was built in a rambler style, all one level with gray-stained wood siding and big bay windows-tinted to block sunlight, of course. It looked new and expensive, and even out in the middle of nowhere, it was about what I'd expected for members of a royal family. **

"Only the best for the best." Adrian grumbled, somewhat. Though I knew there was truth behind those words.

**I jumped down from the Pilot, my boots sinking through an inch of smooth snow and crunching on the gravel of the driveway. The day was still and silent, save for the occasional breath of wind. Dimitri and I walked up to the house, following a river rock sidewalk that cut through the front yard. I could see him sliding into his business mode, but his overall attitude was as cheery as mine. **

"Why?" Jill looked confused for a moment.

**We'd both taken a kind of guilty satisfaction in the pleasant car ride. **

"Oh."

**My foot slipped on the ice-covered sidewalk, and Dimitri instantly reached out to steady me. I had a weird moment of dj vu, flashing back to the first night we'd met, back when he'd also saved me from a similar fall. Freezing temperatures or not, his hand felt warm on my arm, even through the layers of down in my parka coat. **

**"You okay?" He released his hold, to my dismay. **

**"Yeah," I said, casting accusing eyes at the icy sidewalk. "Haven't these people ever heard of salt?"**

**I meant it jokingly, but Dimitri suddenly stopped walking. **

"You can't joke around Dimitri like that." Ivan said as he tsked, wagging his pointer finger slowly which only seemed to add the emphasis of not doing so.

**I instantly came to a halt too. His expression became tense and alert. He turned his head, eyes searching the broad, white plains surrounding us before settling back on the house. I wanted to ask questions, but something in his posture told me to stay silent. **

"At least she is listening to someone." Andre said.

"Yeah, but he hadn't said anything to her." Lissa said, I sighed.

"The way he became tense and alert was all I need, he didn't even have to speak." I moved so I was practically lying down and covered my eyes with my arms, slightly. Only enough to block out some of the bright lights in the room, but where I could still see everyone perfectly.

**He studied the building for almost a full minute, looked down at the icy sidewalk, then glanced back at the driveway, covered in a sheet of snow broken only by our footprints. **

"Something is up." Andre said, moving to sit up straighter. All the adults had already done so, alarmed when they noticed what the book had said about needing to add salt like Dimitri had in the book.

**Cautiously, he approached the front door, and I followed. He stopped again, this time to study the door. It wasn't open, but it wasn't entirely shut either. It looked like it had been closed in haste, not sealing. **

I removed my arm over my eyes and looked at the book. "What is wrong?" No one bothered to point out I asked a book that question. They wanted to know the same thing.

**Further examination showed scuffs along the door's edge, as though it had been forced at some point. The slightest nudge would open it. Dimitri lightly ran his fingers along where the door met its frame, his breath making small clouds in the air. When he touched the door's handle it jiggled a little, like it had been broken. **

**Finally, he said quietly, "Rose, go wait in the car."**

**"But wh-"**

"Just go Rose." My mother told book me.

**"Go."**

**One word-but one filled with power. In that single syllable I was reminded of the man I'd seen throw people around and stake a Strigoi. I backed up, walking on the snow-covered lawn rather than risk the sidewalk. Dimitri stood where he was, not moving until I'd slipped back into the car, closing the door as softly as possible. Then, with the gentlest of movements, he pushed on the barely held door and disappeared inside. **

**Burning with curiosity, I counted to ten and then climbed out of the car. **

"Rose," Lissa groaned, throwing her head back slightly in annoyance that I wasn't going listen to Dimitri. "He said go to the car. Also meaning _stay_ in the car."

**I knew better than to go in after him, but I had to know what was going on with this house. **

"Being curious is going to get you killed Rose." Andre said to me, everyone nods his or her agreement and I sighed. No use in fighting them just yet.

**The neglected sidewalk and driveway indicated that no one had been home for a couple days, although it could also mean the Badicas simply never left the house. It was possible, I supposed, that they'd been the victims of an ordinary break-in by humans. It was also possible that something had scared them off-say, like Strigoi. I knew that possibility was what had made Dimitri's face turn so grim, but it seemed an unlikely scenario with Arthur Schoenberg on duty. **

"Anything could happen to anyone Rose." Seeming to give book me and me as of right now advice.

**Standing on the driveway, I glanced up at the sky. The light was bleak and watery, but it was there. Noon. The sun's highest point today. Strigoi couldn't be out in sunlight. I didn't need to fear them, only Dimitri's anger. **

"Ha! There another reason to stay in the car." Lissa looked at me pleadingly.

"Lissa, this is in the future. I can't stop it at this exact moment in time." I sighed.

**I circled around the right side of the house, walking in much deeper snow-almost a foot of it. Nothing else weird about the house struck me. Icicles hung from the eaves, and the tinted windows revealed no secrets. My foot suddenly hit something, and I looked down. There, half-buried in the snow, was a silver stake. It had been driven into the ground. I picked it up and brushed off the snow, frowning. **

Like most of everyone in the room right now.

**What was a stake doing out here? Silver stakes were valuable. They were a guardian's most deadly weapon, capable of killing a Strigoi with a single strike through the heart. When they were forged, four Moroi charmed them with magic from each of the four elements. I hadn't learned to use one yet, but gripping it in my hand, I suddenly felt safer as I continued my survey. **

**A large patio door led from the back of the house to a wooden deck that probably would have been a lot of fun to hang out on in the summer. But the patio's glass had been broken, so much so that a person could easily get through the jagged hole. I crept up the deck steps, careful of the ice, knowing I was going to get in major trouble when Dimitri found out what I was doing. **

"Yet another reason to stay in the gad damn car." Andre looked slightly worried, matching my parents, His parents, Ivan and Dimitri's faces. Everyone looked curious.

**In spite of the cold, sweat poured down my neck. Daylight, daylight, I reminded myself. Nothing to worry about. **

**I reached the patio and studied the dark glass. I couldn't tell what had broken it. Just inside, snow had blown in and made a small drift on pale blue carpet. I tugged on the door's handle, but it was locked. **

"Why would you even try?" Mia asked.

**Not that that mattered with a hole that big. Careful of the sharp edges, I reached through the opening and unlocked the handle's latch from the inside. I removed my hand just as carefully and pulled open the sliding door. It hissed slightly along its tracks, a quiet sound that nonetheless seemed too loud in the eerie silence. **

"Dimitri, and whoever is in the house, is going to hear that." Ivan told me.

"I think I want him to hear," I furrowed my eyebrows. "To let him know, I didn't listen." I shrugged it off because I could not be exactly sure why I will do that.

**I stepped through the doorway, standing in the patch of sunlight that had been cast inside by opening the door. My eyes adjusted from the sun to the dimness within. Wind swirled through the open patio, dancing with the curtains around me. I was in a living room. It had all the ordinary items one might expect. Couches. TV. A rocking chair. And a body. **

**It was a woman. She lay on her back in front of the TV, her dark hair spilling on the floor around her. Her wide eyes stared upward blankly, her face pale-too pale even for a Moroi. For a moment I thought her long hair was covering her neck, too, until I realized that the darkness across her skin was blood-dried blood. Her throat had been ripped out. **

"Strigoi." Everyone said at the same time.

**The horrible scene was so surreal that I didn't even realize what I was seeing at first. With her posture, the woman might very well have been sleeping. Then I took in the other body: a man on his side only a couple feet away, dark blood staining the carpet around him. Another body was slumped beside the couch: small, child-size.**

"Oh God, no." Rhea whimpered.

**Across the room was another. And another. There were bodies everywhere, bodies and blood. The scale of the death around me suddenly registered, and my heart began pounding. No, no. It wasn't possible. It was day. Bad things couldn't happen in daylight. A scream started to rise in my throat, suddenly halted when a gloved hand came from behind me and closed over my mouth. **

Mason paused to build up the intense.

"Come on, Mason!" Mia practically screamed. "I want to know who it is!"

**I started to struggle; then I smelled Dimitri's aftershave. **

"Thank God." Rhea looked relieved.

**"Why," he asked, "don't you ever listen? You'd be dead if they were still here. " **

**I couldn't answer, both because of the hand and my own shock. I'd seen someone die once, but I'd never seen death of this magnitude. After almost a minute, Dimitri finally removed his hand, but he stayed close behind me. I didn't want to look anymore, but I seemed unable to drag my eyes away from the scene before me. Bodies everywhere. Bodies and blood. **

**Finally, I turned toward him. "It's daytime," I whispered. "Bad things don't happen in the day." I heard the desperation in my voice, a little girl's plea that someone would say this was all a bad dream. **

Everyone turned to me with a worried look on his or her face.

"Don't look at me like that, I can handle it."

**"Bad things can happen anytime," he told me. "And this didn't happen during the day. This probably happened a couple of nights ago. "**

**I dared a peek back at the bodies and felt my stomach twist. Two days. Two days to be dead, to have your existence snuffed out-without anyone in the world even knowing you were gone. My eyes fell on a man's body near the room's entrance to a hallway. He was tall, too well-built to be a Moroi. Dimitri must have noticed where I looked. **

**"Arthur Schoenberg," he said. **

"Poor Arthur." Rhea, who seemed to be the only one speaking out of feelings at the moment, commented.

**I stared at Arthur's bloody throat. **

"Horrible way to die." Eric said this time, instead of his wife.

**"He's dead," I said, as though it wasn't perfectly obvious. "How can he be dead? How could a Strigoi kill Arthur Schoenberg?" It didn't seem possible. You couldn't kill a legend. **

"Even the best of us can have our down fall." Mom said, guardian mask in full view.

**Dimitri didn't answer. Instead his hand moved down and closed around where my own hand held the stake. I flinched. **

**"Where did you get this?" he asked. I loosened my grip and let him take the stake. **

**"Outside. In the ground. "**

**He held up the stake, studying its surface as it shone in the sunlight. "It broke the ward."**

"How is that-" Andre cut himself off, most likely knowing the answer will be in the book.

**My mind, still stunned, took a moment to process what he'd said. Then I got it. Wards were magic rings cast by Moroi. Like the stakes, they were made using magic from all four of the elements. They required strong Moroi magic-users, often a couple for each element. **

**The wards could block Strigoi because magic was charged with life, and the Strigoi had none. But wards faded quickly and took a lot of maintenance. Most Moroi didn't use them, but certain places kept them up. St. Vladimir's Academy was ringed with several. **

"They have to keep future generations safe." Eric said.

**There had been a ward here, but it had been shattered when someone drove the stake through it. Their magic conflicted with each other; the stake had won. **

**"Strigoi can't touch stakes," I told him. I realized I was using a lot of can't and don't statements. It wasn't easy having your core beliefs challenged. "And no Moroi or dhampir would do it."**

"Humans." Mom mumbled.

**"A human might."**

**I met his eyes. "Humans don't help Strigoi-" I stopped. There it was again. **

"There it was what again?" Mia questioned.

**Don't. **

Mia looked confused, slightly.

**But I couldn't help it. The one thing we could count on in the fight against Strigoi was their limitations-sunlight, ward, stake magic, etc. We used their weaknesses against them. If they had others-humans—who would help them and weren't affected by those limitations... Dimitri's face was stern, still ready for anything, but the tiniest spark of sympathy flashed in his dark eyes as he watched me wage my mental battle. **

**"This changes everything, doesn't it?" I asked. **

**"Yeah," he said. "It does."**

"Finished." Mason said as he tossed the book to Eddie. We all had gotten use to just reading in a circle and no one really bothered to fight it.


	4. Reading Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy: Frostbite. **

Reading Chapter 2

_Eddie took_ a deep breath.

**Chapter Two**

**Dimitri made on phone call, and a veritable SWAT team showed up. **

"SWAT team, really?" Mason turned to me and I smiled.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Though I had no idea what happens when this type of thing is happening.

**It took a couple of hours, though, and every minute spent waiting felt like a year. I finally couldn't take it anymore and returned to the car. Dimitri examined the house further and then came to sit with me. Neither of us said a word while we waited. A slide show of the grisly sights inside the house kept playing in my mind. I felt scared and alone and wished he would hold me or comfort me in some way. **

I almost groaned, instead I shook my head and leaned back further so much I could feel the concrete floor with my head. I hope these books do not get any more embarrassing.

**Immediately, I scolded myself for wanting that. I reminded myself for the thousandth time that he was my instructor and had no business holding me, no matter what the situation was. Besides, I wanted to be strong. I didn't need to go running to some guy every time things got tough. **

**When the first group of guardians showed up, Dimitri opened the car door and glanced over at me. "You should see how this is done."**

**I didn't want to see any more of that house, honestly, but I followed anyway. **

"You need to tell me that." Dimitri told me, making sure I made eye contact before looking away.

**These guardians were strangers to me, but Dimitri knew them. He always seemed to know everybody. This group was surprised to find a novice on the scene, but none of them protested my presence. **

"They wouldn't have." Mom shook her head in displeasure. At what, I had no idea.

**I walked behind them as they examined the house. None of them touched anything, **

"They're not supposed to, Rose." My mom said to book Rose or me really, since she had looked at me when she had said the words.

**But they knelt by the bodies and studied the bloodstains and broken windows. Apparently, the Strigoi had entered the house through more than just the front door and back patio. **

**The guardians spoke in brusque tones, displaying none of the disgust and fear I felt. They were like machines. One of them, the only woman in the group, crouched beside Arthur Schoenberg. I was intrigued since female guardians were so rare. I'd heard Dimitri call her Tamara, and she looked about twenty-five. Her black hair just barely touched her shoulders, which was common for guardian women. **

"I don't know why the women cut their hair," Ivan seemed thoughtful for a moment. "Other than the pride thing about the marks and not having it get in the way when you fight."

Everyone looked at my mother for the answer. "It's both of those reasons Lord Zeklos. And it is easier to maintain with our demanding lives."

**Sadness flickered in her gray eyes as she studied the dead guardian's face. "Oh, Arthur, " she sighed. Like Dimitri, she managed to convey a hundred things in just a couple words. "Never thought I'd see this day. He was my mentor." With another sigh, Tamara rose. **

**Her face had become all businesslike once more, as though the guy who'd trained her wasn't lying there in front of her. I couldn't believe it. He was her mentor. How could she keep that kind of control? For half a heartbeat, I imagined seeing Dimitri dead on the floor instead. No. No way could I have stayed calm in her place. **

"I don't think you would've stayed calm if it was anyone you cared about." Eric sadly smiled at me. I tentatively smiled back at him, it was probably true, but I seriously hoped I wouldn't have to see anyone I cared about like that.

**I would have gone on a rampage. I would have screamed and kicked things. I would have hit anyone who tried to tell me things would be okay. Fortunately, I didn't believe anyone could actually take down Dimitri. I'd seen him kill a Strigoi without breaking a sweat. He was invincible. A badass. A god. **

**Of course, Arthur Schoenberg had been too. **

**"How could they do that?" I blurted out. Six sets of eyes turned to me. I expected a chastising look from Dimitri for my outburst, but he merely appeared curious. "How could they kill him?"**

"By apparently ripping out his throat." Andre looked discussed, but it didn't stop him from commenting or having his mother hit his arm and giving him a look of displeasure at in insensitivity.

**Tamara gave a small shrug, her face still composed. "The same way they kill everyone else. He's mortal, just like the rest of us. "**

**"Yeah, but he's ... You know, Arthur Schoenberg."**

**"You tell us, Rose," said Dimitri. "You've seen the house. Tell us how they did it. "**

"Good thinking." My mother praised him as if it had already happened.

"What is going on?" Mia and Jill asked.

"He is giving Rose the Qualifier anyway." Eric told them, seeming to being praising Dimitri as well.

**As they all watched me, I suddenly realized I might be undergoing a test after all today. I thought about what I'd observed and heard. I swallowed, trying to figure out how the impossible could be possible. **

**"There were four points of entry, which means at least four Strigoi. There were seven Moroi..." **

Mom tsked. "There had to be more Strigoi Rose."

I huffed. "Let Eddie finished, I am pretty sure I figure it out."

**The family who lived here had been entertaining some other people, making the massacre that much larger. Three of the victims had been children. "...And three guardians. Too many kills. Four Strigoi couldn't have taken down that many. Six probably could if they went for the guardians first and caught them by surprise. The family would have been too panicked to fight back."**

I gave my mother a smug look, in which received narrowed eyes at not liking the way I was looking at her.

**"And how did they catch the guardians by surprise?" Dimitri prompted. **

**I hesitated. Guardians, as a general rule, didn't get caught by surprise. "Because the wards were broken. In a household without wards, there'd probably be a guardian walking the yard at night. But they wouldn't have done that here. "**

"Good job." Most of the adults in the room said, besides Abe. Look said simply looked at me with approval.

**I waited for the next obvious question about how the wards had been broken. But Dimitri didn't ask it. There was no need. We all knew. We'd all seen the stake. Again, a chill ran down my spine. Humans working with Strigoi-a large group of Strigoi. **

**Dimitri simply nodded as a sign of approval, and the group continued their survey. When we reached a bathroom, I started to avert my gaze. I'd already seen this room with Dimitri earlier and had no wish to repeat the experience. There was a dead man in there, and his dried blood stood out in stark contrast against the white tile. Also, since this room was more interior, it wasn't as cold as the area by the open patio. No preservation. The body didn't smell bad yet, exactly, but it didn't smell right, either. **

"You have to describe everything?" Mia looked like she was going to be sick.

"Guardian-in-training." I pointed to myself. "You tend to notice those type things."

**But as I started to turn away, I caught a glimpse of something dark red-more brown, really-on the mirror. I hadn't noticed it before **

"See you didn't notice it first." Mia pointed out.

"This is why multiple people are usually with you. And I probably was more focus on the future dead guy in front of me." I snapped back. She didn't say anything else. I knew Mia still hurt after Andre, who had gotten in trouble for it when his parents questioned her if he had already done it.

But my father, who I hadn't known was over protective until the blood whore rumors started at school in the book, had went on a rampage. Mia feared both him and me because I got pissed along with him. It took a while to get us both to calm down and when we did, Andre told her to do things to him and not his family and friends.

**Because the rest of the scene had held all of my attention. There was writing on the mirror, done in blood. **

_**Poor, poor Badicas. So few left. One royal family nearly gone. Others to follow.**_

Eric, Rhea, my mom, and Dimitri looked slightly alarmed. And I could see why, the Strigoi are or will be banding together to get to the royals and causing problems.

**Tamara snorted in disgust and turned away from the mirror, studying other details of the bathroom. As we walked out, though, those words repeated in my head. **_**One royal family nearly gone. Others to follow. **_

**The Badicas were one of the smaller royal clans, it was true. But it was hardly like those who had been killed here were the last of them. There were probably almost two hundred Badicas left. That wasn't as many as a family like, say, the Ivashkovs. **

"Hey look I am finally somewhat mentioned." Adrian said looking quite pleased.

**That particular royal family was huge and widespread. There were, however, a lot more Badicas than there were some other royals. **

**Like the Dragomirs. **

**Lissa was the only one left. **

The Dragomirs looked sadden by this, though they do almost every time it was mentioned.

**If the Strigoi wanted to snuff out royal lines, there was no better chance than to go after her. Moroi blood empowered Strigoi, so I understood their desire for that. I supposed specifically targeting royals was simply part of their cruel and sadistic nature. It was ironic that Strigoi would want to tear apart Moroi society, since many of them had once been a part of it. **

**The mirror and its warning consumed me for the rest of our stay at the house, and I found my fear and shock transforming into anger. How could they do this? How could any creature be so twisted and evil that they'd do this to a family-that they'd want to wipe out an entire bloodline? How could any creature do this when they'd once been like me and Lissa?**

"Cause once they are Strigoi they lose all sense of humanity." Dimitri told me. I slightly nod, but confused as to why future me, doesn't seem to realize that.

**And thinking of Lissa-thinking of Strigoi wanting to wipe out her family too-stirred up a dark rage within me. The intensity of that emotion nearly knocked me over. It was something black and miasmic, swelling and roiling. **

"That doesn't seem like normal angry you." Lissa said. I shrug and pointed to the book.

"Maybe the answer as to why I am so mad is in the book."

"Maybe it's the bond." Abe, my father, said.

"What?"

"Victor said in the other book that your anger, and any other feelings, are amplified because of the bond." Make sense I wanted to say, but I was not going to say it. Nor was he hundred percent sure. That it was the bond, we- book me and everyone in this time period- have yet figured out was the consequence of the bond was other than seeing Lissa's thoughts.

**A storm cloud ready to burst. I suddenly wanted to tear up every Strigoi I could get my hands on. **

I felt my eyebrows raise, a little shocked that I was going to think that.

**When I finally got into the car to ride back to St. Vladimir's with Dimitri, I slammed the door so hard that it was a wonder it didn't fall off. **

**He glanced at me in surprise. "What's wrong?"**

"That is a really stupid question to ask Rose." Andre told him. "You're lucky if she'll tell you."

"Well in the future, um book, she loves him so maybe she will, Andre." Lissa told her brother with a pointed look.

"You never-"

"Are you two serious arguing whether or not I will tell Dimitri what my problem is?" I looked between. "Maybe if you stop, you'll get your answer."

Eddie took that as the go ahead.

**"Are you serious?" I exclaimed, incredulous. "How can you ask that? You were there. You saw that."**

**"I did," he agreed. "But I'm not taking it out on the car." I fastened my seat belt and glowered. "I hate them. I hate them all! I wish I'd been there. I would have ripped their throats out!"**

**I was nearly shouting. Dimitri stared at me, face calm, but he was clearly astonished at my outburst. **

"You are really mad Rose." Lissa told me softly. "I would have been surprised too."

**"You really think that's true?" he asked me. "You think you could have done better than Art Schoenberg after seeing what the Strigoi did in there? After seeing what Natalie did to you?"**

"Good thing you brought up Natalie." Rhea told him. "Maybe it'll clam Rose down, some."

**I faltered. I'd tangled briefly with Lissa's cousin, Natalie, when she became a Strigoi, just before Dimitri had shown up to save the day. Even as a new Strigoi-weak and uncoordinated-she'd literally thrown me around the room. **

I winced out of memory of the book.

**I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Suddenly, I felt stupid. I'd seen what Strigoi could do. Me running in impetuously and trying to save the day would have only resulted in a quick death. I was developing into a tough guardian, but I still had a lot to learn-and one seventeen-year-old girl couldn't have stood against six Strigoi. **

**I opened my eyes. "I'm sorry," I said, gaining control of myself. The rage that had exploded inside me diffused. **

"I still say it's the bond." Abe said sitting back, fixing his suit jacket and looking like he owned this place.

**I didn't know where it had come from. I had a short temper and often acted impulsively, but this had been intense and ugly even for me. Weird. **

"It is weird." Lissa nodded in agreement.

**"It's okay," said Dimitri. He reached over and placed his hand on mine for a few moments. Then he removed it and started the car. "It's been a long day. For all of us."**

**When we got back to St. Vladimir's Academy around midnight, everyone knew about the massacre. The vampiric school day had just ended, and I hadn't slept in more than twenty-four hours. I was bleary-eyed and sluggish, and Dimitri ordered me to immediately go back to my dorm room and get some sleep. **

"I am going to take a wild guess and say she doesn't listen." Andre said, smirking in my direction. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Just because you're three years older than I am Andre, doesn't mean I still can't kick your ass."

"Oh, I know you can. I am just stating a fact that you don't listen to anybody." I glared at him, but Eddie trying to defuse the argument, probably hoping I wouldn't start a fight began to read.

**He, of course, looked alert and ready to take on anything. **

"That's just Dimitri." Ivan informed us.

**Sometimes I really wasn't sure if he slept at all. **

"Sometimes, it seems like that too." Again, Ivan had informed.

**He headed off to consult with other guardians about the attack, and I promised him I'd go straight to bed. Instead, I turned toward the library once he was out of sight. **

"Called it." I sighed as Andre smirked even more at me.

**I needed to see Lissa, and the bond told me that was where she was. **

**It was pitch-black as I walked along the stone walkway that crossed the quad from my dorm to the secondary school's main building. Snow completely covered the grass, but the sidewalk had been meticulously cleared of all ice and snow. It reminded me of the poor Badicas' neglected home. The commons building was large and gothic-looking, more suited to a medieval movie set than a school. **

Lissa giggled, while Mason, Eddie, Andre, and Christian laughed at the statement.

"That is so true." Andre said in-between breaths. The adults were looking at us-them- with slight amusement.

**Inside, that air of mystery and ancient history continued to permeate the building: elaborate stone walls and antique paintings warring with computers and fluorescent lights. Modern technology had a foothold here, but it would never dominate. **

**Slipping through the library's electronic gate, I immediately headed for one of the back corners where geography and travel books were kept. **

"How do you even know that?" Andre looked shocked. "I've never seen you even enter the library."

"I've been to the library, before."

"Suuuurre."

**Sure enough, I found Lissa sitting there on the floor, leaning against a bookcase. **

**"Hey," she said, looking up from an open book propped up on one knee. She brushed a few strands of pale hair out of her face. Her boyfriend, Christian, lay on the floor near her, his head propped up on her other knee. He greeted me by way of a nod. Considering the antagonism that sometimes flared up between us, that was almost on par with him giving me a bear hug. **

Christian and I chuckled at the statement.

**Despite her small smile, I could feel the tension and fear in her; it sang through the bond. **

**"You heard," I said, sitting down cross-legged. **

"You just said the school had heard about it just now." Mia pointed out.

"I guess I just wanted to know if she was okay."

"Through the bond, you should've been able to tell."

"Sometimes, telling me helps make sure of that."

"That-"

"Girls." Rhea said in a warning voice. Mia and I just glared at each other, but remained quiet so Eddie could continue.

**Her smile slipped, and the feelings of fear and unease within her intensified. I liked that our psychic connection let me protect her better, but I didn't really need my own troubled feelings amplified. **

**"It's awful," she said with a shudder. Christian shifted and linked his fingers through hers. He squeezed her hand. She squeezed back. Those two were so in love and sugary sweet with each other that I felt like brushing my teeth after being around them.**

"Ugh, you are going to be _that_ couple." Andre said with some discuss, but otherwise smiled at his baby sister. Who was blushing?

**They were subdued just now, however, no doubt thanks to the massacre news. "They're saying... They're saying there were six or seven Strigoi. And that humans helped them break the wards."**

**I leaned my head back against a shelf. News really did travel fast. Suddenly, I felt dizzy. "It's true."**

**"Really?" asked Christian. "I figured that was just a bunch of hyped-up paranoia."**

"Apparently, not this time." Andre told book Christian.

**"No ..." I realized then that nobody knew where I'd been today. "I...I was there."**

"That is only going to worry me." Lissa told me.

**Lissa's eyes widened, shock coursing into me from her. Even Christian-the poster child for "smartass"-looked grim. If not for the horribleness of it all, I would have taken satisfaction in catching him off guard. **

**"You're joking," he said, voice uncertain. **

"Hate to break it to you, Christian." Andre began and pointed to me. "When it is something like that, or just as horrible, she doesn't joke." Everyone who knew me enough, nods their agreement.

**"I thought you were taking your Qualifier..." Lissa's words trailed off. **

**"I was supposed to," I said. "It was just a wrong-place-and-wrong-time kind of thing. The guardian who was going to give me the test lived there. Dimitri and I walked in, and..."**

**I couldn't finish. Images of the blood and death that had filled the Badica house flashed through my mind again. Concern crossed both Lissa's face and the bond. **

**"Rose, are you okay?" she asked softly. **

"I don't know why I am asking," Lissa sighed. "It's not like you're going to tell me."

**Lissa was my best friend, but I didn't want her to know how scared and upset the whole thing had made me. I wanted to be fierce. **

**"Fine," I said, teeth clenched. **

"See."

**"What was it like?" asked Christian. **

Even though, as of right now, they were friends. Lissa leaned a little bit over and hit Christian upside his head.

"Ow!" He turned and narrowed his eyes at Lissa. "I hadn't even asked the question yet!" He exclaimed.

"Yes, but figured if you're trained enough not to be an insensitive ass, you wouldn't ask the question in the first place." Eric, Rhea, Andre, and I were all trying hard not to laugh at this exchange. It didn't even seem like her parents were going to correct her cursing. Christian rubbed his head, mumbling under his breath as Lissa asked Eddie to read.

**Curiosity filled his voice, but there was guilt there too**

Christian shot Lissa a pointed look. She smiled innocently at him, making him melt at the sight.

**Like he knew it was wrong to want to know about such a horrible thing. He couldn't stop himself from asking, though. Lack of impulse control was one thing we had in common. **

"Ugh! I don't want anything in common with that thing!" I exclaimed, waving my hand in Christian's direction.

"If anyone's a thing in this room, it is you." He retorted.

**"It was ..." I shook my head. "I don't want to talk about it."**

**Christian started to protest, and then Lissa ran a hand through his sleek black hair. The gentle admonishment silenced him.**

"Oh, there I get a hand through my hair. But now, I get a hit upside my head. Real nice." Lissa giggled at him. I glanced at Andre and we both made gagging sounds.

**A moment of awkwardness hung between us all. Reading Lissa's mind, I felt her desperately grope for a new topic. **

**"They say this is going to mess up all of the holiday visits," she told me after several more moments. "Christian's aunt is going to visit, but most people don't want to travel, and they want their kids to stay here where it's safe. They're terrified this group of Strigoi is on the move. "**

"My aunt visit's me every year." Christian nods, agreeing and informing with book Lissa.

**I hadn't thought about the ramifications of an attack like this. We were only a week or so away from Christmas. Usually, there was a huge wave of travel in the Moroi world this time of year. Students went home to visit their parents; parents came to stay on campus and visit their children. **

"That reminds me." Andre looked at his parents. "What are we doing for Christmas this year?" Right now, it was November and the adult Dragomirs usually start planning the vacation this month.

"We were thinking about Hawaii."

"Hawaii, Really?" Lissa asked in pure excitement.

"Yes," Eric nods his head. "We know is it usually hot there but there is an island, that humans don't know about, strictly for Moroi and their guardians. So we do not have to be out during the day." Andre and Lissa nod ecstatically.

"And if we're able to stop or change anything about us dying. I would like Christian and you, Rose, to come with us." I smiled at Eric. Usually he nevered had to even ask, I was already invited, but seeing as both my parents were here. The plans may have changed and he wanted them to know that I was invited. My parents didn't protest, but they both seemed to be thinking about something.

**"This is going to keep a lot of families separated," I murmured. **

**"And mess up a lot of royal get-togethers," said Christian. His brief seriousness had vanished; his snide air was back. "You know how they are this time of year-always competing with each other to throw the biggest parties. They won't know what to do with themselves."**

Adrian laughed. "The parties are boring anyways."

**I could believe it. My life was about fighting, but the Moroi certainly had their share of internal strife-particularly with nobles and royals. They waged their own battles with words and political alliances, and honestly, I preferred the more direct method of hitting and kicking. **

"Of course you would." Lissa smiled at me.

"Royals, do that to." Adrian piped in. "They just are publicized."

**Lissa and Christian in particular had to navigate some troubled waters. They were both from royal families, which meant they got a lot of attention both inside and outside of the Academy. Things were worse for them than for most Moroi royals. Christian's family lived under the shadow cast by his parents. They had purposely become Strigoi, trading their magic and morality to become immortal and subsist on killing others. His parents were dead now, but that didn't stop people from not trusting him. They seemed to think he'd go Strigoi at any moment and take everyone else with him. His abrasiveness and dark sense of humor didn't really help things, either. **

"I totally recent that." He looked at me. I shrugged as it is no big deal, and really, it wasn't.

**Lissa's attention came from being the last one left in her family. No other Moroi had enough Dragomir blood in them to earn the name. Her future husband would probably have enough somewhere in his family tree to make sure her children were Dragomirs, but for now, being the only one made her kind of a celebrity. **

**Thinking about this suddenly reminded me of the warning scrawled on the mirror. Nausea welled up in me. That dark anger and despair stirred, but I pushed it aside with a joke. **

"Of course you would."

**"You guys should try solving your problems like we do. A fistfight here and there might do you royals some good. "**

**Both Lissa and Christian laughed at this. He glanced up at her with a sly smile, showing his fangs as he did. "What do you think? I bet I could take you if we went one on one."**

**"You wish," she teased. Her troubled feelings lightened. **

**"I do, actually," he said, holding her gaze. **

Even though this was in the future, they smiled at each other now. Almost like they were wondering the same thing.

**There was an intensely sensual note to his voice that made her heart race. Jealousy shot through me. She and I had been best friends our entire life. I could read her mind. But the fact remained: Christian was a huge part of her world now, and he played a role I never could-just as he could never have a part of the connection that existed between me and her. We both sort of accepted but didn't like the fact that we had to split her attention, and at times, it seemed the truce we held for her sake was paper thin. **

**Lissa brushed her hand against his cheek. "Behave."**

**"I am," he told her, his voice still a little husky. "Sometimes. But sometimes you don't want me to..."**

"You did not just say that." I made sure I looked completely grossed out.

Christian smirked in my direction. "I think I just did." I groaned and shook my head.

**Groaning, I stood up. "God. I'm going to leave you guys alone now."**

**Lissa blinked and dragged her eyes away from Christian, suddenly looking embarrassed. **

Pretty much like she does now.

**"Sorry," she murmured. A delicate pink flush spread over her cheeks. Since she was pale like all Moroi, it actually sort of made her look prettier. **

Lissa smiled at me, the embarrassment still shown, but for a different reason now than before.

**Not that she needed much help in that department. "You don't have to go..." **

"Oh, but I do." I shivered, but smiled at Lissa who had her eyes narrowed at me.

**"No, it's fine. I'm exhausted," I assured her. Christian didn't look too broken up about seeing me leave. "I'll catch you tomorrow."**

**I started to turn away, but Lissa called to me. "Rose? Are you...Are you sure you're okay? After everything that happened?"**

**I met her jade green eyes. Her concern was so strong and deep that it made my chest ache. I might be closer to her than anyone else in the world, but I didn't want her worrying about me. **

"I am your best friend Rose, I am going to worry."

**It was my job to keep her safe. She shouldn't be troubled about protecting me-particularly if Strigoi had suddenly decided to make a hit list of royals. **

I nod in agreement, while Lissa sighed.

**I flashed her a saucy grin. "I'm fine. Nothing to worry about except you guys tearing each other's clothes before I get a chance to leave. "**

**"Then you better go now," said Christian dryly. **

**She elbowed him, and I rolled my eyes. "Good night," I told them. **

**As soon as my back was to them, my smile vanished. I walked back to my dorm with a heavy heart, hoping I wouldn't dream about the Badicas tonight.**

Eddie tossed the book to Dimitri. With his reflexes, he was able to catch it, though it seemed as if he wasn't even paying attention to even grab the book in time.


	5. Reading Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy; Frostbite. **

_Author's note: So I received a review that said I wrote like Richelle Mead. Do you know how much that made my day?! THANK YOU! By the way. I mean if some of you do not agree with the review it still made my day. And just saying I wrote like Ms. Mead, herself, was a huge compliment because she is a wonderful writer and I want to be one, even if I still make writing mistakes… Anyways, And I was like I will upload for a second time today. Don't worry I'll still upload a new chapter tomorrow. But without further ado Chapter 3!_

Reading Chapter 3

"_Before we_ get started I am hungry." I announced. Eric and Rhea shook their heads, but had a smile on their face. Mason, Eddie, and Andre chuckled, while Lissa sighed.

"Aren't you always?" Mason teased.

"Yes. Now let's eat!" I got up and went to the kitchen, and luckily, they all followed. Dimitri still had the book in his hands. Apparently, they agreed with in three seconds that he would read while Rhea, Christian, and Ivan cooked. I think it was because they have gotten use to me excessive eating and realized that stopping each time we ate, was slowing us down. We discovered that Ivan, Dimitri and Christian had actually liked cooking during the first book. Dimitri would have been helping, but seeing as he was going to read while they cooked and we waited, he was not going to be helping this time.

I knew Rhea, liked the help, especially from the three of them. Lissa, Andre, even Eric never really helped her cooked, when we were at their home. Rhea, actually really liked the kitchen as well. It was updated with all new appliances, 'U' shaped counter tops, huge fridge, two ovens, six piece gas burners, and huge sink. The kidnapper apparently wanted us to be as comfortable as they could have made it, which goes for the bedrooms as well. The kitchen, cooking area, could fit easily all four of them and the table had room to fit everyone and more.

"Alright, what's for lunch?" Rhea asked the table, where we all had taken our seats.

"Surprise us." We all usually fought over what we wanted to eat, and since the kidnapper didn't even really stocked the kitchen with anything that was easily cooked and you basically had to make everyone from scratch we had to decide. And that took longer because no one wanted the same thing most of the time.

Rhea nods at Eric who was the one who said those words, before anyone could pipe in what they actually wanted. She then talked it over with Christian and Ivan before they got to work. They didn't tell us what they were cooking, which was the 'surprise' part, but I couldn't help but want to know now what it was. I turned to Dimitri, giving my full attention, kind of, to the book when he began to read.

**Chapter Three**

**The lobby of my dorm was abuzz when I sprinted downstairs to my before-school practice. **

"You're late again?" My mother sighed, almost giving up. I shrug, as the first book went on you could tell I was never on time and when I was late, I would rush. So it really wasn't any different from me as of right now, but they were able to tell now.

**The commotion didn't surprise me. A good night's sleep had gone far to chase away the images from last night, but I knew neither I nor my classmates would easily forget what had taken place outside Billings. **

**And yet, as I studied the faces and clusters of other novices, I noticed something weird. **

"Apparently, you noticed all the _weird_ things." Andre told me, he was now sitting next to me. Lissa was on the other side of me next to her was Christian. I rolled my eyes.

"I notice a lot of things, but I usually don't tell anyone. Not unless it will, in some way get me something that I know of it."

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Abe smirk at mom who narrowed her eyes at me. Clearly not liking my words.

**The fear and tension from yesterday were still around, certainly, but something new was there too: excitement. **

"Yesh, what rumor is it now?" Mia whined. Everyone immediately looked interested, even the three cooking, looked up for a moment and paused what they were doing.

**A couple of freshmen novices were practically squealing with joy as they spoke in hushed whispers. Nearby, a group of guys my own age were gesturing wildly, enthusiastic grins on their faces. **

"Why is everyone so happy?" Jill looked confused.

I smiled at her. "Maybe we'll find out in a moment, Jill, remember this usually has all the answers." Jill had a red hint to her cheeks and quickly looked down. I saw Eddie look in awe shortly before he shook it away. I grinned at Eddie, when I caught his eye. He looked quickly away, knowing I had saw the look.

**I had to be missing something here-unless all of yesterday had been a dream. It took every ounce of self-control I had not to go over and ask somebody what was happening. **

"I can't believe Rosie has self-control." Andre joked. I hit him upside the head. I knew it hurt, because he winced, but he refused to say it had.

"Call me Rosie, you won't be able to have kids."

**If I delayed, I'd be late for practice. The curiosity was killing me, though. Had the Strigoi and their humans been found and killed? That would certainly be good news, but something told me that wasn't the case. Pushing open the front doors, I lamented that I'd just have to wait until breakfast to find out. **

**"Hath-away, don't run-away," a singsong voice called.**

"Ten dollars it's Mason." I told Andre. He seemed to think about it for a moment and agrees.

**I glanced behind me and grinned. Mason Ashford, **

I extended my hand out expectantly. Andre sighed and took out his wallet, why or how everyone still had their wallets but no phones was weird, but it came in handy for moments like this. He placed the ten dollars in my hand and I stuffed it in my pocket. Eric shook his head at Andre when Andre looked at his father.

"I need to teach you how to bet properly."

"My betting is just fine."

"You keep losing to Rose."

"That's because Rose is good at everything she does." Rhea told her husband. I smirked at Andre.

"He should know that by now, Mr. Dragomir if he hadn't, let him keep losing money. I am happy to take it."

Eric sighed, still slightly disappointed in his son. But it was still 'fake' disappointment. Everyone else had watched in amusement.

**Another novice and a good friend of mine, jogged up and fell in step with me. **

**"What are you, twelve?" I asked, continuing on toward the gym. **

"Maybe." Mason smiled at me. Ever since I have learned about Mason's crush and he had learned I did not return the feelings it was weird and awkward at first. But now it had been getting better, but at some looks I still see the pain of me not sharing his feelings.

**"Nearly," he said. "I missed your smiling face yesterday. Where were you?"**

**Apparently my presence at the Badica house still wasn't widely known. It wasn't a secret or anything, but I didn't want to discuss any gory details. "Had a training thing with Dimitri."**

**"God," muttered Mason. "That guy is always working you. Doesn't he realize he's depriving us of your beauty and charm?"**

"Laying it on a bit thick don't ya think?" Adrian said, of course he was the one to talk.

**"Smiling face? Beauty and charm? You're laying it on a little thick this morning, aren't you?" I laughed. **

"I don't want to be thinking like Adrian!" I exclaimed in horror. Everyone laughed at me, Adrian rolled his eyes. In the little while he has been here, I've learned that he was a womanizer. Flirting a lot, I knew he smoked, and I knew he drank even under age. But at the same time who doesn't?

"**Hey, I'm just telling it like it is. Really, you're lucky to have someone as suave and brilliant as me paying this much attention to you. "**

**I kept grinning. Mason was a huge flirt, and he liked to flirt with me in particular. Part of it was just because I was good at it and liked to flirt back. But I knew his feelings toward me were more than just friendly, and I was still deciding how I felt about that. **

In this time, we had and I told him. Especially after we finished the book. I sat him down and told him how I felt. Though this book was confusing me slightly, I wasn't going to change my mind about how I felt about him. He was practically my brother.

**He and I had the same goofy sense of humor and frequently drew attention to ourselves in class and among friends. He had gorgeous blue eyes and messy red hair that never seemed to lie flat. It was cute. **

**But dating someone new was going to be kind of difficult when I still kept thinking about the time I was half-naked in bed with Dimitri. **

"Yup. That would be a problem." Lissa said with a smile on her face. I laughed at the comment, the smile looked almost goofy looking.

**"Suave and brilliant, huh?" I shook my head. "I don't think you pay nearly as much attention to me as you do your ego. Someone needs to knock it down a little."**

I nod in agreement and smirked at Mason, though me not sharing the feelings… it probably had been.

**"Oh yeah?" he asked. "Well, you can try your best on the slopes."**

"Slopes?" Almost every teenager said simultaneous. And perked up some.

**I stopped walking. "The what?"**

"That is what we're wondering." Mia said, sitting up even more.

**"The slopes." He tilted his head. "You know, the ski trip."**

**"What ski trip?" I was apparently missing something serious here. **

Adrian chuckled. "Wow. I think that is the first time, I heard that you didn't know something as fast as you usually do." Dimitri ignored the comment, but glanced up at Adrian before he read more.

**"Where have you been this morning?" he asked, looking at me like I was a crazy woman. **

"Should've known you were in bed." Mason shook his head.

**"In bed! I only got up, like, five minutes ago. Now, start from the beginning and tell me what you're talking about. " I shivered from the lack of movement. "And let's keep walking." We did. **

"You're demanding." Jill commented I had almost rolled my eyes at the comment. I saw Eddie place a hand on her leg, before it appeared back on the table. He was probably warning her not to test me. I gave him a look that he chose to ignore.

**"So, you know how everyone's afraid to have their kids come home for Christmas? Well, there's this huge ski lodge in Idaho that's exclusively used by royals and rich Moroi. The people who own it are opening it up for Academy students and their families-and actually any other Moroi who want to go. With everyone in one spot, they're going to have a ton of guardians to protect the place, so it'll be totally safe."**

"That is a good idea." Rhea said, stirring whatever, was in the pot. Ivan was now cutting pieces up meat into little squares and placing them in a pan to cook. Christian was cutting something that was green, it was long and had leaves at the end of them.

**"You can't be serious," I said. We reached the gym and stepped inside out of the cold. **

**Mason nodded eagerly. "It's true. The place is supposed to be amazing." He gave me the grin that always made me smile in return. "We're going to live like royalty, Rose. At least for a week or so. We take off the day after Christmas. "**

**I stood there, both excited and stunned. I hadn't seen this coming. It really was a brilliant idea, one that let families reunite safely. And what a reunion spot! A royal ski lodge. I'd expected to spend most of my holiday break hanging out here and watching TV with Lissa and Christian. **

"Why do I get the feeling, that that isn't going to happen?" I said a loud. "Like something is going to go wrong."

"Maybe, because you expect the worse out of everything." Lissa told me. I just nod, but still thought about it. It seems too good to be true and things that tend to be too good to be true it back fires.

**Mason's enthusiasm was contagious. I could feel it welling up in me, and then, suddenly, it slammed to a halt. Studying my face, he saw the change right away. "What's wrong? This is cool. "**

**"It is," I admitted. "And I get why everyone's excited, but the reason we're getting to go to this fancy place is because, well, because people are dead. I mean, doesn't this all seem weird?"**

"Doesn't mean you stop living Rose." Lissa told me. I pointed to the book.

"Tell book Rose that. _I_ know that."

**Mason's cheery expression sobered a little. "Yeah, but we're alive, Rose. We can't stop living because other people are dead. And we have to make sure more people don't die. That's why this place is such a great idea. It's safe." His eyes turned stormy. "God, I can't wait until we're out of here in the field. After hearing about what happened, I just want to go tear apart some Strigoi. I wish we could go now, you know? There's no reason. They could use the extra help, and we pretty much know everything we need to."**

**The fierceness in his voice reminded me of my outburst yesterday, though he wasn't quite as worked up as I'd been. His eagerness to act was impetuous and naïve, whereas mine had been born out of some weird, dark irrationality I still didn't entirely understand. **

**When I didn't respond, Mason gave me a puzzled look. "Don't you want to?"**

**"I don't know, Mase." I stared down at the floor, avoiding his eyes as I studied the toe of my shoe. "I mean, I don't want Strigoi out there, attacking people either. And I want to stop them in theory... But, well, we aren't even close to being ready. I've seen what they can do I don't know. Rushing in isn't the answer." I shook my head and looked back up. **

"Rose…sounds…" Andre looked at me like I was crazy and tried to think of an answer.

"Rational." Lissa said, in the same voice Andre had and shared his look. I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest.

**Good grief. I sounded so logical and cautious. **

"Yes. Yes you do." Mason and Eddie said, together.

**I sounded like Dimitri. **

"I don't see that as a bad thing." Ivan said, looking up from cutting the meat and pointed the knife at me. "You're in love with him, well in the book-er-future, seems like some of his personality would move onto you."

"Especially since he is also your mentor." Eric told me. "Mentors are supposed to make get rid of the childish ways of thinking and help you mature. You are going to have a life in your hands in a few years, and need to be able to play it safe, _sometimes_."

He added emphasis on 'sometimes' so I wouldn't argue, not that I would have a chance because Dimitri read more stopping any conversation that would play out.

**"It's not important since it's not going to happen anyway. I suppose we should just be excited about the trip, huh?"**

**Mason's moods were quick to change, and he turned easy going once more. **

**"Yup. And you'd better try to remember how to ski, because I'm calling you out on knocking down my ego out there. Not that it's going to happen."**

"A little too confident, aren't you?" I told Mason who smiles and nods at me.

"Always."

**I smiled again. "Boy, it sure is going to be sad when I make you cry. I kind of feel guilty already."**

**He opened his mouth, no doubt to deliver some smartass reply, and then caught sight of something-or rather, someone-behind me. I glanced over and saw Dimitri's tall form approaching from the other side of the gym. **

"Fun time over." I sighed, pretending I don't like Dimitri teaching me. I am actually kind of happy he is or will be. Not because I will fall in love with him and not because I know I'll hate waking up that early in the morning. From what I heard from the book and what I could see with my own two eyes, I knew he had skill that I could use and turn me into an even more badass Guardian.

**Mason swept me a gallant bow. "Your lord and master. Catch you later, Hathaway. Start planning your ski strategies." He opened the door and disappeared into the frigid darkness. I turned around and joined Dimitri. **

**Like other dhampir novices, I spent half of my school day on one form or another of guardian training, be it actual physical combat or learning about Strigoi and how to defend against them. Novices also sometimes had practices after school. I, however, was in a unique situation. **

"Which you wouldn't have been if you had just stayed at the school."

"I know mom. Like I said before, it'll be fixed." I sighed, placing my chin in the palm of my hand that was on the table.

**I still stood by my decision to run away from St. Vladimir's. Victor Dashkov had posed too much of a threat to Lissa. But our extended vacation had come with consequences. Being away for two years had put me behind in my guardian classes, so the school had declared that I had to make up for it by going to extra practices before and after school. **

**With Dimitri. **

**Little did they know that they were also giving me lessons in avoiding temptation. But my attraction to him aside, I was a fast learner, and with his help, I had almost caught up to the other seniors. **

"You would've have surpassed them, if only you stayed." Mom told book Rose. I didn't say anything this time.

**Since he wasn't wearing a coat, I knew we'd be working inside today, which was good news. It was freezing out. Yet even the happiness I felt over that was nothing compared to what I felt when I saw what exactly he had set up in one of the training rooms. **

**There were practice dummies arranged on the far wall, dummies that looked amazingly lifelike. No straw-stuffed burlap bags here. There were men and women, wearing ordinary clothes, with rubbery skin and different hair and eye colors. Their expressions ranged from happy to scared to angry. I'd worked with these dummies before in other trainings, using them to practice kicks and punches. But I'd never worked with them while holding what Dimitri held: a silver stake. **

**"Sweet," I breathed. **

"Only you Rose." Andre laughed slightly and shook his head.

"Weapons are cool, okay!" I said in a way to defend myself.

**It was identical to the one I'd found at the Badica house. It had a hand grip at the bottom, almost like a hilt without the little side flourishes. That was where its resemblance to a dagger ended. Rather than a flat blade, the stake had a thick, rounded body that narrowed to a point, kind of like an ice pick. The entire thing was a little shorter than my forearm. **

"Like we didn't know what a stake looks like Rose."

"Well, sorry for the way my mind works." I told Christian.

**Dimitri leaned casually against the wall, in an easy stance he always pulled off remarkably well, despite being almost six-seven. With one hand, he tossed the stake into the air. It spun around in a cartwheel a couple of times and then came down. He caught it hilt first. **

**"Please tell me I get to learn how to do that today," I said. **

**Amusement flashed in the dark depths of his eyes. I think he had a hard time keeping a straight face around me sometimes. **

**"You'll be lucky if I let you hold it today," he said. **

"Rose, is not going to like that." Mason mumbled. I rolled my eyes.

"He probably wants me to take about safety first and all that crap before I touch it." I looked at Dimitri and could tell that was exactly what he would do.

**He flipped the stake into the air again. My eyes followed it longingly. I started to point out that I had already held one, but I knew that line of logic would get me nowhere. **

**Instead, I tossed my backpack on the floor, threw off my coat, and crossed my arms expectantly. I had on loose pants tied at the waist and a tank top with a hoodie over it. My dark hair was pulled brutally back into a ponytail. I was ready for anything. **

**"You want me to tell you how they work and why I should always be cautious around them," I announced. **

**Dimitri stopped flipping the stake and stared at me in astonishment. **

"Ha! I was right!" I exclaimed. Everyone rolled his or her eyes, except mom.

"How do you know, he hasn't said anything yet." Jill questioned me.

"The book says 'stared at me in astonishment', meaning I surprised him by knowing what he wanted." Clearly having enough of how I knew Dimitri, he read on.

**"Come on," I laughed. "You don't think I know how you work by now? We've been doing this for almost three months. You always make me talk safety and responsibility before I can do anything fun. "**

I gave Jill a pointed look.

**"I see," he said. "Well, I guess you've got it all figured out. By all means, go on with the lesson. I'll just wait over here until you need me again."**

**He tucked the stake into a leather sheath hanging from his belt and then made himself comfortable against the wall, hands stuffed in pockets. I waited, figuring he was joking, but when he said nothing else, I realized he'd meant his words. With a shrug, I launched into what I knew. **

"Which isn't much." I kicked Mason under the table, he was sitting in front of me. Eddie, next to him in front of Lissa, which happened to be next to Jill. Mason hissed in pain and bent a little to rub the spot. I gave him a smug look and crossed my arms over my chest, leaning back in my chair.

**"Silver always has powerful effects on any magical creature-it can help or hurt them if you put enough power into it. These stakes are really hard-core because it takes four different Moroi to make them, and they use each of the elements during the forging." I frowned, suddenly considering something. "Well, except spirit-So these things are supercharged and area bout the only non-decapitating weapon that can do damage to a Strigoi-but to kill them, it has to be through the heart."**

**"Will they hurt you?"**

**I shook my head. "No. **

"Yes." My mother told me. I rolled my hands at Dimitri to keep reading, before she could tell me how, because I knew how they could.

**I mean, well, yeah, if you drive one through my heart it will, **

I gave my mom a point look.

**But it won't hurt me like it would a Moroi. Scratch one of them with this, and it'll hit them pretty hard-but not as hard as it'd hit a Strigoi. And they won't hurt humans, either."**

**I stopped for a moment and stared absentmindedly at the window behind Dimitri. Frost covered the glass in sparkling, crystalline patterns, but I hardly noticed. Mentioning humans and stakes had transported me back to the Badica house. Blood and death flashed through my thoughts. **

Lissa looked at me, worriedly. I rolled my eyes at her.

**Seeing Dimitri watching me, I shook off the memories and kept going with the lesson. Dimitri would occasionally give a nod or ask a clarifying question. As the time ticked down, I kept expecting him to tell me I was finished and could start hacking up the dummies. **

"I won't." Dimitri told me.

**Instead, he waited until almost ten minutes before the end of our session before leading me over to one of them-it was a man with blond hair and a goatee. Dimitri took the stake out from its sheath but didn't hand it to me. **

**"Where are you going to put this?" he asked. **

**"In the heart," I replied irritably. "I already told you that like a hundred times. Can I have it now?"**

"Impatient." Andre sang, and he received an elbow in the ribs. This time he made a noise, groaning almost, as he clutched his side. Eric laughed.

"You deserved that." Lissa said as she laughed with her father.

**He allowed himself a smile. "Where's the heart?"**

**I gave him an are-you-serious look. He merely shrugged. With overdramatic emphasis, I pointed to the left side of the dummy's chest. Dimitri shook his head. **

**"That's not where the heart is," he told me. **

**"Sure it is. People put their hands over their hearts when they say the Pledge of Allegiance or sing the national anthem."**

"That is not where the heart is, Rose." Mom decided to comment.

**He continued to stare at me expectantly. I turned back to the dummy and studied it. In the back of my brain, I remembered learning CPR and where we had to place our hands. I tapped the center of the dummy's chest. **

**"Is it here?"**

**He arched an eyebrow. Normally I thought that was cool. Today it was just annoying. "I don't know," he said. "Is it?"**

"I like how it seems he is playing with you." Christian looked smugly at me. I narrowed my eyes at him.

**"That's what I'm asking you!"**

**"You shouldn't have to ask me. Don't you all have to take physiology?"**

"We take that our junior year." Eddie said, looking at him. We were all- Eddie, Mason, Lissa, Christian, and I- half way through our first year in the upper campuses.

**"Yeah. Junior year. I was on 'vacation,' remember?" I pointed to the gleaming stake. "Can I please touch it now?"**

"You're whining." Andre told me.

"Do you seriously want to be hit again?" With the look on his face I knew the answer was a no and he remain silent.

**He flipped the stake again, letting it flash in the light, and then it disappeared in the sheath. "I want you to tell me where the heart is the next time we meet. Exactly where. And I want to know what's in the way of it too."**

**I gave him my fiercest glare, which-judging from his expression-must not have been that fierce. Nine out of ten times, I thought Dimitri was the sexiest thing walking the earth. Then, there were times like this... **

"You just pissed her off." Eddie whined. "School's going to be horrible."

**I headed off to first period, a combat class, in a bad mood. I didn't like looking incompetent in front of Dimitri, and I'd really, really wanted to use one of those stakes. So in class I took out my annoyance on anyone I could punch or kick. By the end of class, no one wanted to spar with me. **

"Correction," Mason said. "No one wants to spar with you, pissed off. You diffidently do not hold back."

"You're really not supposed to." I pointed out.

"I know, but even some of us, do not use our full force behind every hit during practice." I rolled my eyes.

**I'd accidentally hit Meredith-one of the few other girls in my class-so hard that she'd felt it through her shin padding. **

"See." Mason pointed out. I, again, rolled my eyes.

**She was going to have an ugly bruise and kept looking at me as though I'd done it on purpose. I apologized to no avail. **

**Afterward, Mason found me once again. "Oh, man," he said, studying my face. "Who pissed you off?"**

"Right now? You and Andre are pretty close." I told him, as if he asked me the question now. Both gulped, loudly but said nothing.

**I immediately launched into my tale of silver stake and heart woes. **

**To my annoyance, he laughed. "How do you not know where the heart is? Especially considering how many of them you've broken?"**

"True that." Mason nods his head. I couldn't help but be sadden by it.

**I gave him the same ferocious look I'd given Dimitri. This time, it worked. Mason's face paled. **

**"Belikov is a sick, evil man who should be thrown into a pit of rabid vipers for the great offense he committed against you this morning."**

"Really?" Dimitri raised one of his eyebrows and looked at Mason. Mason shrugged as a response.

"If I pissed her off more, I would've ended up with something broken."

I grinned, evilly, at Mason.

**"Thank you." I said primly. Then, I considered. "Can vipers be rabid?"**

"Can they?" I asked him.

"Why not?"

**"I don't see why not. Everything can be. I think." He held the hallway door open for me. "Canadian geese might be worse than vipers, though. "**

**I gave him a sidelong look. "Canadian geese are deadlier than vipers?"**

"**You ever tried to feed those little bastards?" he asked, attempting seriousness and failing. "They're vicious. You get thrown to vipers, you die quickly. But the geese? That'll go on for days. More suffering. " **

"Thanks for giving me a quick death." Dimitri said, with slight sarcasm.

**"Wow. I don't know whether I should be impressed or frightened that you've thought about all this," I remarked. **

**"Just trying to find creative ways to avenge your honor, that's all."**

**"You just never struck me as the creative type, Mase."**

**We stood just outside our second-period classroom. Mason's expression was still light and joking, but there was a suggestive note in his voice when he spoke again. "Rose, when I'm around you, I think of all sorts of creative things to do."**

**I was still giggling about the vipers and abruptly stopped, staring at him in surprise. **

"Ohh." Mason, laughed and smiled at me. "Ashford 1, Hathaway 0."

"I hope you know this is in the future."

"Still." I rolled my eyes.

**I'd always thought Mason was cute, but with that serious, smoky look in his eyes, it suddenly occurred to me for the first time that he was actually kind of sexy. **

I whipped my head at the book pretty sure that my surprise was shown while I stared at it. Lissa was giggling uncontrollably at my reaction.

**"Oh, look at that," he laughed, noticing how much he'd caught me off guard. "Rose gets rendered speechless. Ashford 1, Hathaway 0."**

**"Hey, I don't want to make you cry before the trip. It won't be any fun if I've already broken you before we even hit the slopes."**

**He laughed, and we stepped into the room. This was a class on bodyguard theory, one that took place in an actual classroom instead of the practice field. **

I groaned. "I really hate Stan."

"It's only been half the year." Rhea told me, smiling. Though I had so as much when we first said started reading and it talked about him and me. But they didn't comment on it, especially when it said he had noticed me and called me up to the front of the class.

"I hated him since the first day of school."

"New record." Eric announced, while everyone laughed. Stan teaches all the grades of course at different times, but he was the only Guardian who thought the class at St. Vladimir.

**It was a nice break from all the physical exertion. Today, there were three guardians standing at the front who weren't from the school's regiment. Holiday visitors, I realized. Parents and their guardians had already started coming to campus to accompany their children to the ski resort. My interest was piqued immediately. **

"Duh!" Lissa almost yelled. "More people who can embarrass."

"They just give me the material. Not my fault, if they can't handle it."

**One of the guests was a tall guy who looked like he was about a hundred years old but could still kick major ass. The other guy was about Dimitri's age. He had deeply tanned skin and was built well enough that a few of the girls in class looked ready to swoon. **

Everyone teenage guy rolled their eyes.

**The last guardian was a woman. Her auburn hair was cropped and curly, and her brown eyes were currently narrowed in thought. **

Knowing who it was, I looked at my mother. She had a similar look on her face, now. Everyone else also, seemed to know who the woman was, everything and one became quiet. The only serious noticed was the food boiling in the pot. They had just begun to start cleaning up the mess, before Rhea, Christian, and Ivan froze like everyone else had.

**As I've said, a lot of dhampir women choose to have children rather than follow the guardian path. Since I too was one of the few women in this profession, I was always excited to meet others-like Tamara. **

**Only, this wasn't Tamara. This was someone I'd known for years, someone who triggered anything but pride and excitement. Instead, I felt resentment. Resentment, anger, and burning outrage. **

**The woman standing in front of the class was my mother.**

Everyone looked as if they didn't want to read the next chapter. I especially didn't want to. My relationship with my mother was anything but perfect. Still isn't, even after being stuck in this place with her until we finished all the books. We hadn't really spoken to each other, unless she is telling me something that I already know or telling me I was doing something wrong.


	6. Reading Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy; Frostbite. **

Reading Chapter 4

"_End of _Chapter." Dimitri got up, to take Ivan 's place who looked nervous for an unknown reason. Ivan sat in the same chair Dimitri was in, he was next to Eric. Clearing his throat unnecessarily, I may add, he began.

**Chapter Four **

**I couldn't believe it. Janine Hathaway. My mother. My insanely famous and stunningly absent mother. **

Abe knew she had not been there, but I noticed each time it was mentioned he would raise an eyebrow at mom almost as if he was demanding an explanation for being absent in my life. Though I could demand the same thing from him, I was not.

**She was no Arthur Schoenberg, but she did have a pretty stellar reputation in the guardian world. I hadn't seen her in years because she was always off on same insane mission. And yet... Here she was at the Academy right now—right in front of me-and she hadn't even bothered to let me know she was coming. So much for motherly love. **

You could practically hear the sarcasm in those five words. Nobody really said anything.

**What the hell was she doing here anyway? The answer came quickly. All the Moroi who came to campus would have their guardians in tow. My mother protected a noble from the Szelsky clan, and several members of that family had shown up for the holidays. Of course she'd be here with him. **

My mother nods in agreement.

**I slid into my chair and felt something inside of me shrivel up. I knew she had to have seen me come in, but her attention was focused elsewhere. **

"Then you ignore her." Abe sighed. "Seriously Janine?" The tone in his voice, made my mother flinch slightly. I did not even know that was possible. She quickly recovered and gave him a look, but the look on his face had remained. Abe was just as good as any guardian with the 'mask' and I could not decipher any emotions or what he was thinking.

**She had on jeans and a beige T-shirt, covered with what had to be the most boring denim jacket I'd ever seen. At only five feet tall, she was dwarfed by the other guardians, but she had a presence and way of standing that made her seem taller. Our instructor, Stan, introduced the guests and explained that they were going to share real-life experiences with us. **

**He paced the front of the room, bushy eyebrows knitting together as he spoke. "I know this is unusual," he explained. **

"Not shit." Andre said. His father reached over and knocked him upside the head the same time his mother said his name in a disapproving tone. Usually, neither Rhea nor Eric was up to hitting as a way to discipline Andre or Lissa. However, they did do it, when they warned him multiple times about something, like cursing. Usually it was a hit upside his head, from Eric. Rhea would hit him on his arm, neither painful but it got the point across.

**"Visiting guardians usually don't have time to stop by our classes. Our three guests, however, have made time to come talk to you today in light of what's happened recently..." He paused a moment, and no one needed to tell us what he was referring to. The Badica attack. He cleared his throat and tried again. "In light of what's happened, we thought it might better prepare you to learn from those currently working in the field."**

**The class tensed with excitement. Hearing stories-particularly ones with a lot of blood and action-was a hell of a lot more interesting than analyzing theory from a textbook. Apparently some of the other campus guardians thought so too. They often stopped by our classes, but they were present today in a larger-than-usual number. Dimitri stood among them in the back. **

"Always noticing, Dimitri." Lissa whispered. Everyone at the table had heard her; Ivan smirked in Dimitri's direction but kept reading.

**The old guy went first. He launched into his story, and I found myself getting hooked in. It described a time when the youngest son of the family he guarded had wandered off in a public place that Strigoi were lurking in. **

**"The sun was about to set, " he told us in a gravelly voice. He swept his hands in a downward motion, apparently to demonstrate how a sunset worked. "There were only two of us, and we had to make a snap decision on how to proceed."**

**I leaned forward, elbows propped up on my desk. Guardians often worked in pairs. One-the near guard—usually stayed close to those being guarded while the other-the far guard-scouted the area. The far guard still usually stayed within eye contact, so I recognized the dilemma here. **

"Thanks Rose, like most of us, didn't know that." Eddie said.

"I didn't." Jill said, looking at him.

"I didn't either." Mia said. I smirked at Eddie.

"See, me saying things some people already know is useful for the ones who don't."

**Thinking about it, I decided that if I were in that situation, I'd have the near guardian take the rest of the family to a secure location while the other guardian searched for the boy. **

With the nods of the two guardians in the room, I knew it was the right call before Ivan even read more.

**"We had the family stay inside a restaurant with my partner while I swept the rest of the area," continued the old guardian. He spread his hands out in a sweeping motion, and I felt smug over having made the correct call. The story ended happily, with a found boy and no Strigoi encounters. **

"That is good." Rhea said, I think most people stopped trying to figure out which tense to use when we spoke and most of us spoke as if it had already happened.

**The second guy's anecdote talked about how he'd gotten the drop on a Strigoi stalking some Moroi. **

**"I wasn't even technically on duty," he said. He was the really cute one, and a girl sitting near me stared at him with wide, adoring eyes. "I was visiting a friend and the family he guarded. As I was leaving their apartment, I saw a Strigoi lurking in the shadows. He never expected a guardian to be out there. I circled the block, came up behind him, and... " The man made a staking motion, far more dramatic than the old guy's hand gestures had been. The storyteller even went so far as to mimic twisting the stake into the Strigoi's heart. **

"I wanna know why he is over glorifying the death." I commented, looking at the book. Everyone shrugs.

"Guess he just wants their attention." Andre told me.

**And then it was my mother's turn. A scowl spread over my face before she even said a word, a scowl that grew worse once she actually launched into the story. I swear, if I didn't believe her incapable of having the imagination for it-and her bland clothing choices proved she really didn't have an imagination-I would have thought she was lying. It was more than a story. It was an epic tale, the kind of thing that gets made into movies and wins Oscars. **

Even I can sense my hatred for her in those words. I started fidgeting in my chair; everyone was staring at me while Ivan read.

**She talked about how her charge, Lord Szelsky, and his wife had attended a ball put on by another prominent royal family. Several Strigoi had been lying in wait. My mother discovered one, promptly staked it, and then alerted the other guardians present. With their help, she hunted down the other Strigoi lurking around and performed most of the kills herself. **

**"It wasn't easy," she explained. From anyone else that statement would have sounded like bragging. **

"I am not bragging."

"Said sounds like."

**Not her. There was a briskness to the way she spoke, an efficient way of stating facts that left no room for flourishes.**

"See." I pointed out, just having to prove my point.

**She'd been raised in Glasgow and some of her words still had a Scottish lilt. "There were three others on the premises. At the time, that was considered an unusually large number to be working together. That's not necessarily true now, considering the Badica massacre." A few people flinched at the casual way she spoke about the attack. Once again, I could see the bodies. "We had to dispatch the remaining Strigoi as quickly and quietly as possible, so as not to alert the others. Now, if you have the element of surprise, the best way to take Strigoi is to come around from behind, break their necks, and then stake them. Breaking their necks won't kill them, of course, but it stuns them and allows you to do the staking before they can make any noise. The most difficult part is actually sneaking up on them, because their hearing is so acute. Since I'm smaller and lighter than most guardians, I can move fairly quietly. So I ended up performing two of the three kills myself."**

"Has this already happened?" Rhea asked my mother, who shook her head. Looking down in thought, Ivan glanced at her before continuing.

**Again, she used that matter-of-fact tone as she described her own stealthy skills. It was annoying, more so than if she'd been openly haughty about how awesome she was. My classmates' faces shone with wonder; they were clearly more interested in the idea of breaking a Strigoi's neck than analyzing my mother's narrative skills. **

**She continued with the story. When she and the other guardians had killed the remaining Strigoi, they'd discovered two Moroi had been taken from the party. **

"Oh no." Rhea, she sat by her husband, and Christian, who sat in the empty seat next to Lissa, had now joined us at the table. Dimitri had stayed near the cooking food to keep watch, but he was leaning against one of the counters listening to us as well.

**Such an act wasn't uncommon for Strigoi. Sometimes they wanted to save Moroi for a later "snack"; sometimes lower-ranking Strigoi were dispatched by more powerful ones to bring back prey. Regardless, two Moroi were gone from the ball, and their guardian had been injured. **

**"Naturally, we couldn't leave those Moroi in Strigoi clutches," she said. "We tracked the Strigoi to their hideout and found several of them living together. I'm sure you can recognize how rare that is."**

**It was. The evil and selfish nature of Strigoi made them turn on each other as easily as they did their victims. Organizing for attacks-when they had an immediate and bloody goal in mind-was the best they could do. But living together? No. It was almost impossible to imagine.**

**"We managed to free the two captive Moroi, only to discover that others were being held prisoner," my mother said. "We couldn't send the ones we'd rescued back by themselves, though, so the guardians who were with me escorted them out and left it to me to get the others."**

Of course, she would be the one to stay behind.

**Yes, of course, I thought. My mother bravely went in alone. Along the way, she got captured but managed to escape and rescue the prisoners. In doing so, she performed what had to be the hat trick of the century, killing Strigoi in all three ways: staking, decapitation, and setting them on fire. **

**"I had just staked a Strigoi when two more attacked," she explained. "I didn't have time to pull the stake out when the others jumped me. Fortunately, there was an open fireplace nearby, and I pushed one of the Strigoi into it. The last one chased me outside, into an old shed. There was an axe inside and I used that to cut off her head. I then took a can of gasoline and returned to the house. The one I'd thrown into the fireplace hadn't completely burned, but once I doused him in gasoline, he went up pretty quickly."**

Rhea and her daughter looked like they were going to be sick; everyone but Dimitri and I looked interested. I knew Dimitri was probably interested, but he was too busy watching me. I met his eyes and gave him a questionable look. He just shook his head and looked at the pot to make sure the food was not burning.

**The classroom was in awe as she spoke. Mouths dropped. Eyes bugged. Not a sound could be heard. Glancing around, I felt like time had frozen for everyone-except me. **

Pretty much like the room had now.

**I appeared to be the only one unimpressed by her harrowing tale, and seeing the awe on everyone's faces enraged me. When she finished, a dozen hands shot up as the class peppered her with questions about her techniques, whether she was scared, etc. **

**After about the tenth question, I couldn't take it anymore. I raised my hand. It took her a while to notice and call on me. She seemed mildly astonished to find me in class. I considered myself lucky that she even recognized me. **

**"So, Guardian Hathaway," I began. "Why didn't you guys just secure the place?"**

"Rose." Lissa groaned. I tried hiding a smirk, sounds like something I would do.

**She frowned. I think she'd gone on her guard the moment she called on me. **

"Anyone would when it's you Rose." Andre told me. I rolled my eyes as a response.

**"What do you mean?"**

**I shrugged and slouched back in my desk, attempting a casual and conversational air. "I don't know. It seems to me like you guys messed up. Why didn't you scope out the place and make sure it was clear of Strigoi in the first place? Seems like you could have saved yourself a lot of trouble."**

**All eyes in the room turned toward me. My mother was momentarily at a loss for words. "If we hadn't gone through all that 'trouble,' there'd be seven more Strigoi walking the world, and those other captured Moroi would be dead or turned by now."**

**"Yeah, yeah, I get how you guys saved the day and all that, but I'm going back to the principles here. I mean, this is a theory class, right?" I glanced over at Stan who was regarding me with a very stormy look. **

"Do you like pissing off everyone?" Lissa questioned me. Earning I sighed from her mother at Lissa's language.

"I like seeing everyone's reaction." I said shrugging, noticing I have been doing that a lot. I leaned back in my chair, and relaxed some.

**He and I had a long and unpleasant history of classroom conflicts, and I suspected we were on the verge of another. "So I just want to figure out what went wrong in the beginning."**

**I'll say this for her-my mother had a hell of a lot more self-control than I did. **

My mother snorted, almost to say 'duh.'

**Had our roles been reversed, I would have walked over and smacked me by now. Her face stayed perfectly calm, however, and a small tightness in the set of her lips was the only sign that I was pissing her off. **

**"It's not that simple," she replied. "The venue had an extremely complex layout. We went through it initially and found nothing. It's believed the Strigoi came in after the festivities had started-or that there might have been passages and hidden rooms we hadn't been aware of. "**

"Really?" I crossed my arms over my chest. "Last time I noticed, Guardians searches are pretty intense." My mother said nothing to this.

**The class ooh'ed and ahh'ed over the idea of hidden passages, but I wasn't impressed. **

**"So what you're saying is that you guys either failed to detect them during your first sweep, or they broke through the 'security' you set up during the party. Seems like someone messed up either way. "**

"She has a point, Janine." Abe told her, my mother just crossed her arms over her chest, copying me. Not giving in to saying, I had a point to.

**The tightness in her lips increased, and her voice grew frosty. "We did the best we could with an unusual situation. I can see how someone at your level might not be able to grasp the intricacies of what I'm describing, but once you've actually learned enough to go beyond theory, you'll see how different it is when you're actually out there and lives are in your hands."**

**"No doubt," I agreed. "Who am I to question your methods? I mean, whatever gets you the molnija marks, right?"**

"Was that really necessary?" Lissa questioned me.

"I am pissing her off." Was my only response as she sighed.

**"Miss Hathaway." Stan's deep voice rumbled through the room. "Please take your things and go wait outside for the remainder of class."**

**I stared at him in bewilderment. "Are you serious? Since when is there anything wrong with asking questions?"**

**"Your attitude is what's wrong." He pointed at the door. "Go."**

I sighed. "Great."

**A silence heavier and deeper than when my mother had told her story descended over everyone. I did my best not to cower under the stares of guardians and novices alike. This wasn't the first time I'd been kicked out of Stan's class. It wasn't even the first time I'd been kicked out of Stan's class while Dimitri was watching. Slinging my backpack over my shoulder, I crossed the short distance to the door-a distance that felt like miles-and refused to make eye contact with my mother as I passed. **

**About five minutes before the class let out, she slipped out of the room and walked over to where I sat in the hallway. Looking down on me, she put her hands on her hips in that annoying way that made her seem taller than she was. It wasn't fair that someone over half a foot shorter than me could make me feel so small. **

My mother furrowed her eyebrows at the thought, but I turned my attention to the table. I did not want her to know that.

**"Well. I see your manners haven't improved over the years."**

**I stood up and felt a glare snap into place. "Nice to see you too. I'm surprised you even recognized me. In fact, I didn't even think you remembered me, seeing as how you never bothered to let me know you were on campus."**

**She shifted her hands from her hips and crossed her arms across her chest, becoming-if possible-even more impassive. "I couldn't neglect my duty to come coddle you."**

"Coddle?" I snorted.

**"Coddle?" I asked. This woman had never coddled me in her life. I couldn't believe she even knew the word. **

**"I wouldn't expect you to understand. From what I hear, you don't really know what 'duty' is."**

**"I know exactly what it is," I retorted. My voice was intentionally haughty. "Better than most people."**

**Her eyes widened in a sort of mock surprise. I used that sarcastic look on a lot of people and didn't appreciate having it directed toward me. "Oh really? Where were you for the last two years?"**

**"Where were you for the last five?" I demanded. "Would you have known I was gone if someone hadn't told you?" **

**"Don't turn this back on me. I was away because I had to be. You were away so you could go shopping and stay up late."**

"Janine, that is not really fair." Abe told her. He is seriously earning some points in my book, not that I would tell him, that.

**My hurt and embarrassment morphed into pure fury. Apparently, I was never going to live down the consequences of running away with Lissa. **

**"You have no idea why I left," I said, my voice's volume rising. "And you have no right to make assumptions about my life when you don't know anything about it."**

**"I've read reports about what happened. You had reason for concern, but you acted incorrectly." Her words were formal and crisp. She could have been teaching one of my classes. "You should have gone to others for help."**

"She doesn't trust anyone." Lissa told my mother. "Well, anyone older, and the ones she does are dead at this point in time." Referring to her parents, who smiled at me, I smiled back at them.

"Who was she supposed to tell, that would take her seriously?" No one said anything. I could tell that Dimitri wanted to say something, but thought better of it.

**"There was no one I could go to-not when I didn't have hard proof. Besides, we've been learning that we're supposed to think independently."**

**"Yes," she replied. "Emphasis on learning. Something you missed out on for two years. You're hardly in a position to lecture me about guardian protocol."**

**I wound up in arguments all the time; something in my nature made that inevitable. So I was used to defending myself and having insults slammed at me. I had a tough skin. But somehow, around her-in the brief times I had been around her-I always felt like I was three years old. **

Once again, my mother furrowed her eyebrows in thought but said nothing.

**Her attitude humiliated me, and touching on my missed training- already a prickly subject-only made me feel worse. I crossed my arms in a fair imitation of her own stance and managed a smug look. **

**"Yeah? Well, that's not what my teachers think. Even after missing all that time, I've still caught up with everyone else in my class. "**

**She didn't answer right away. Finally, in a flat voice, she said, "If you hadn't left, you would have surpassed them."**

Something she had already said a chapter or two back. Nice to know her way of thinking will not change.

**Turning military-style, she walked off down the hall. A minute later, the bell rang, and the rest of Stan's class spilled into the hall. **

**Even Mason couldn't cheer me up after that. I spent the rest of the day angry and annoyed, sure that everyone was whispering about my mother and me. I skipped lunch and went to the library to read a book about physiology and anatomy. **

"You skipped lunch…" Mason asked astonished.

"And went to the library?" Eddie finished the questioned.

"I don't want you to miss lunch to find that answer." Dimitri informed me. I groaned but said nothing.

**When it was time for my after-school training with Dimitri, I practically ran up to the practice dummy. With a curled fist, I slapped its chest, very slightly to the left but mostly in the center. **

**"There," I told him. "The heart is there, and the sternum and ribs are in the way. Can I have the stake now?"**

"I am going to say 'no?'" I looked at Dimitri, who nods his head.

**Crossing my arms, I glanced up at him triumphantly, waiting for him to shower me with praise for my new cunning. Instead, he simply nodded in acknowledgment, like I should already have known that. And yeah, I should have. **

**"And how do you get through the sternum and the ribs?" he asked. **

I sighed. Knew it.

**I sighed. I'd figured out the answer to one question, only to be given another. Typical. **

**We spent a large part of the practice going over that, and he demonstrated several techniques that would yield the quickest kill. Every movement he made was both graceful and deadly. He made it look effortless, but I knew better. **

**When he suddenly extended his hand and offered the stake to me, I didn't understand at first. "You're giving it to me?"**

**His eyes sparkled. "I can't believe you're holding back. I figured you'd have taken it and run by now. "**

"I would too." Everyone in the room nod in agreement with mom. I gave an annoyed sighed.

**"Aren't you always teaching me to hold back?" I asked. **

**"Not on everything."**

**"But on **_**some**_** things."**

"Did I just hear a double meaning?" Adrian asked, pointing it out.

**I heard the double meaning in my voice and wondered where it had come from. I'd accepted a while ago that there were too many reasons for me to even think about him romantically anymore. Every once in a while, I slipped a little and kind of wished he would too. It'd have been nice to know that he still wanted me, that I still drove him crazy. Studying him now, I realized he might not ever slip because I didn't drive him crazy anymore. **

Ivan looked up from the book. "Knowing Dimitri, you do. He just not letting you know that."

**It was a depressing thought. **

**"Of course," he said, showing no indication we'd discussed anything other than class matters. "It's like everything else. Balance. Know which things to run forward with-and know which to leave **_**alone**_**." He placed a heavy emphasis on that last statement. **

**Our eyes met briefly, and I felt electricity race through me. He did know what I was talking about. And like always, he was ignoring it and being my teacher-which is exactly what he should have been doing. With a sigh, I pushed my feelings for him out of my head and tried to remember that I was about to touch the weapon I'd been longing for since childhood. The memory of the Badica house came back to me yet again. The Strigoi were out there. I needed to focus. **

"Yes, you do." Almost everyone chimed.

**Hesitantly, almost reverentially, I reached out and curled my fingers around the hilt. The metal was cool and tingled against my skin. It was etched along the hilt for better grip, but in trailing my fingers over the rest of it, I found the surface to be as smooth as glass. I lifted it from his hand and brought it to me, taking a long time to study it and get used to its weight. An anxious part of me wanted to turn around and impale all of the dummies, but instead I looked up at Dimitri and asked, "What should I do first?"**

"I did the same thing." My mother told me. I just awkwardly nod, not sure what to say.

**In his typical way, he covered basics first, honing the way I held and moved with the stake. Later on, he finally let me attack one of the dummies, at which point I did indeed discover it was not effortless. Evolution had done a smart thing in protecting the heart with the sternum and ribs. Yet through it all, Dimitri never faltered in diligence and patience, guiding me through every step and correcting the finest details. **

"Sounds like him." Ivan grinned at me. I grinned back, for an unknown reason really.

**"Slide up through the ribs," he explained, watching me try to fit the stake's point through a gap in the bones. "It'll be easier since you're shorter than most of your attackers. Plus, you can slide along the lower rib's edge. "**

**When practice ended, he took the stake back and nodded his approval. **

**"Good. Very good. "I glanced at him in surprise. He didn't usually hand out a lot of praise. **

**"Really?"**

**"You do it like you've been doing it for years."**

**I felt a delighted grin creep over my face as we started leaving the practice room. When we neared the door, I noticed a dummy with curly red hair. **

"Oh crap." Lissa whispered, this time only I heard. I knew because her mother did not say anything about the language.

**Suddenly, all the events from Stan's class came tumbling back into my head. I scowled. **

"**Can I stake that one next time?"**

**He picked up his coat and put it on. It was long and brown, made of distressed leather. It looked very much like a cowboy duster, though he'd never admit to it. He had a secret fascination with the Old West. **

"Not so secret anymore." Ivan laughed. I saw Dimitri roll his eyes, but had a small smile on his face when he saw me look over at him.

**I didn't really understand it, but then, I didn't get his weird musical preferences either. **

**"I don't think that'd be healthy," he said. **

**"It'd be better than me actually doing it to her," I grumbled, slinging my backpack over one shoulder. We headed out to the gym. **

**"Violence isn't the answer to your problems," he said sagely. **

My mother just nods her head in agreement, along with every adult but Abe. Who, again, looked slightly proud.

**"She's the one with the problem. And I thought the whole point of my education was that violence is the answer."**

**"Only to those who bring it to you first. Your mother isn't assaulting you. You two are just too much alike, that's all."**

**I stopped walking. "I'm not anything like her! I mean... We kind of have the same eyes. But I'm a lot taller. And my hair's completely different." I pointed to my pony tail, just in case he wasn't aware that my thick brown-black hair didn't look like my mother's auburn curls. **

"I'm not talking about the appearances, and I know you know I am not." Dimitri said looking from over the pot he was currently stirring.

**He still had kind of an amused expression, but there was something hard in his eyes too. "I'm not talking about your appearances, and you know it."**

Nice to know he thinks the same too.

**I looked away from that knowing gaze. My attraction to Dimitri had started almost as soon as we'd met-and it wasn't just because he was so hot, either. I felt like he understood part of me that I didn't understand myself, and sometimes I was pretty sure I understood parts of him that he didn't understand either. **

"Soul mates." Lissa smiled at me while I rolled my eyes. She is such a romantic. I did not believe in 'soul mates' so I could care less. But I did find it weird, that he and I could do that.

**The only problem was that he had the annoying tendency to point out things about myself I didn't want to understand. **

**"You think I'm jealous?"**

My mother looked confused. And I admit, that would explain some things if I was jealous.

**"Are you?" he asked. I hated it when he answered my questions with questions. **

"That is just Dimitri, you kind of get use to it." Ivan said, looking at me. I nod my head, though I can tell Dimitri did not like him telling me things about him.

**"If so, what are you jealous of exactly?" **

**I glanced back at Dimitri. "I don't know. Maybe I'm jealous of her reputation. Maybe I'm jealous because she's put more time into her reputation than into me. I don't know."**

**"You don't think what she did was great?"**

**"Yes. No. I don't know. It just sounded like such a...I don't know...Like she was bragging. Like she did it for the glory." I grimaced. "For the marks." Molnija marks were tattoos awarded to guardians when they killed Strigoi. Each one looked like a tiny x made of lightning bolts. They went on the backs of our necks and showed how experienced a guardian was. **

**"You think facing down Strigoi is worth a few marks? I thought you'd learned something from the Badica house. "**

**I felt stupid. "That's not what I-"**

**"Come on."**

"To where?" Jill looked confused.

**I stopped walking. "What?"**

**We'd been heading toward my dorm, but now he nodded his head toward the opposite side of campus. "I want to show you something."**

**"What is it?"**

**"That not all marks are badges of honor."**

Everyone looked confused.

"Food's ready." Dimitri commented, turning the stove off. Everyone got up and grabbed plates placing the soup- or whatever it was-on them, while Rhea grabbed the bread from the stove, I did not know she placed in it and handed everyone two each.


	7. Reading Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy; Frostbite.**

Reading Chapter 5

_The food _was great, like always. We decided to take a longer break since we have been reading since we have woken up. Usually the breaks we take are when we eat and then one that just includes everyone hanging out. However, we just included this with the eating. You could tell everyone was getting pretty bored, nothing interesting has happened yet, besides the Royal deaths that seem just that. But across not everyone's lives at full of action and suspense.

However, you would think my life would according to the first book and that I will be a Guardian. I was lying on my bed that was with the Dragomirs, Eddie, Mason, and Christian. Lissa was off talking to Christian on his bed that was in the corner of the room. They both sat cross-legged on his bed, in deep conversation. Mason, Eddie, and Andre were in the main room talking to Adrian, Mia, and Jill. What about? I have no clue. This room was big enough that there was a king size bed for Mr. and Mrs. Dragomir to sleep on, and three bunks beds. Christian was on the bottom bunk that he shared with Andre. Mason and Eddie shared one that was at the foot of Christian and Andre's bunk. The king size bed was in the middle of the room, and Lissa's and my bunk was closes to the door.

I had the top bunk, so I could see the room as a whole and keep my eye out on everything that happens without anyone knowing. I knew all the adults were talking in the kitchen, probably trying to figure out how to fix-almost- everything because some things probably cannot be fixed like the car wreck. We had no idea when that was exactly going to happen; we just knew it was soon. Ivan's death was the same thing, but the reason why Lissa and I ran away, and everything with Victor and Natalie they could probably fix.

I knew more problems were most likely going to come up, especially since this was only the second book. I also knew they would try to fix those as well. Or try their hardest to. Rhea, popping her head in the room and telling us break was up and we had to read, pulled me out of my thoughts. Mom had the book this time, already in the sofa her and my father shared. She waited for Christian and Lissa to take their beanbag seats to begin.

**Chapter Five**

**I had no idea what Dimitri was talking about, but I followed along obediently. **

"I think Dimitri is the only one, Rose listens to." Andre said, grinning at me. I rolled my eyes, but I agreed with him.

**To my surprise, he led me out of the boundaries of the campus and into the surrounding woods. **

"Where are you taking her?" Lissa asked book Dimitri, though she glanced at Dimitri in this time when she finished, as if he would know the answer now.

**The Academy owned a lot of land, not all of which was actively used for educational purposes. We were in a remote part of Montana, and at times, it seemed as though the school was just barely holding back the wilderness. **

**We walked quietly for a while, our feet crunching through thick, unbroken snow. A few birds flitted by, singing their greetings to the rising sun, but mostly all I saw were scraggly, snow-heavy evergreen trees. I had to work to keep up with Dimitri's longer stride, particularly since the snow slowed me down a little. Soon, I discerned a large, dark shape ahead. Some kind of building. **

"There's a building out there?" I asked curiously, making sure my face showed nothing as my friends grinned at me, knowing I have just found another place for us to party at. This must have worked because none of the adults said anything or seemed to think I was purely curious. Though Abe, did give me a once over, as if he knew the reason I had asked.

**"What is that?" I asked. Before he could answer, I realized it was a small cabin, made out of logs an everything. Closer examination showed that the logs looked worn and rotten in some places. The roof sagged a little. **

"Okay, so you brought me to a broken down cottage," I looked at Dimitri. "Um… Why?"

Though I knew he could not answer, because he himself didn't know why at the moment, I still felt like I should ask.

"**Old watch-post," he said. "Guardians used to live on the edge of campus and keep watch for Strigoi."**

**"Why don't they anymore?"**

"Not enough Guardians." My mother said. I worked hard to hide the smirk that I knew was forming on my face.

**"We don't have enough guardians to staff it. Besides, Moroi have warded campus with enough protective magic that most don't think it's necessary to have actual people on guard." Provided no humans staked the wards, I thought. **

Every adult seemed to agree.

**For a few brief moments, I entertained the hope that Dimitri was leading me off to some romantic getaway. Then I heard voices on the opposite side of the building. A familiar hum of feeling coursed into my mind. Lissa was there. **

**Dimitri and I rounded the corner of the building, coming up on a surprising scene. A small frozen pond lay there, and Christian and Lissa were ice skating on it. A woman I didn't know was with them, but her back was to me. All I could see was a wave of jet-black hair that arced around her when she skated to a graceful stop. **

Dimitri and Christian looked surprised for a moment, but that quickly disappeared.

**Lissa grinned when she saw me. "Rose!" Christian glanced over at me as she spoke, and I got the distinct impression he felt I was intruding on their romantic moment. **

**Lissa moved in awkward strides to the pond's edge. She wasn't so adept at skating. **

Christian grinned at Lissa. "You don't know how to ice skate?"

"No, not really." Lissa seemed embarrassed by that fact.

**I could only stare in bewilderment-and jealousy. "Thanks for inviting me to the party."**

**"I figured you were busy," she said. "And this is secret anyway. We aren't supposed to be here." **

"Could have told you that, Liss." I sighed.

**I could have told them that. **

I smirked in her direction as she gave me a mock glare.

**Christian skated up beside her, and the strange woman soon followed. "You bringing party crashers, Dimka?" she asked. **

**I wondered who she was talking to, until I heard Dimitri laugh. He didn't do it that often, and my surprise increased. "It's impossible to keep Rose away from places she shouldn't be. She always finds them eventually."**

"Granted, you're the one that showed me the place." I told him.

**The woman grinned and turned around, flipping her long hair over one shoulder, so that I suddenly saw her face full-on. It took every ounce of my already dubiously held self-control not to react. Her heart-shaped face had large eyes exactly the same shade as Christian's, a pale wintry blue. The lips that smiled at me were delicate and lovely, glossed in a shade of pink that set off the rest of her features. **

**But across her left cheek, marring what would have otherwise been smooth, white skin were raised, purplish scars. Their shape and formation looked very much like someone had bitten into and torn out part of her cheek. Which, I realized, was exactly what had happened. **

Christian nods his head as an answer to the unasked questions about this woman's cheek.

**I swallowed. I suddenly knew who this was. It was Christian's aunt. When his parents had turned Strigoi, they'd come back for him, hoping to hide him away and turn him Strigoi when he was older. I didn't know all the details, but I knew his aunt had fended them off. As I'd observed before, though, Strigoi were deadly. She'd provided enough of a distraction until the guardians showed up, but she hadn't walked away without damage. **

Christian looked grimed at the mention of what happened to his only close living relative.

**She extended her gloved hand to me. "Tasha Ozera," she said. "I've heard a lot about you, Rose."**

"Great." I said sarcastically, glaring at Christian, who in returned smirked.

**I gave Christian a dangerous look, and Tasha laughed. **

**"Don't worry," she said. "It was all good."**

**"No, it wasn't," he countered. **

**She shook her head in exasperation. "Honestly, I don't know where he got such horrible social skills. He didn't learn them from me." That was obvious, I thought. **

"Hey!"

"It kind of is, man." Andre told Christian.

**"What are you guys doing out here?" I asked. **

**"I wanted to spend some time with these two." A small frown wrinkled her forehead. "But I don't really like hanging around the school itself. They aren't always hospitable..."**

**I didn't get that at first. School officials usually fell all over themselves when royals came to visit. Then I figured it out. **

**"Because...Because of what happened..."**

**Considering the way everyone treated Christian because of his parents, I shouldn't have been surprised to find his aunt facing the same discrimination. **

**Tasha shrugged. "That's the way it is." She rubbed her hands together and exhaled, her breath making a frosty cloud in the air. "But let's not stand out here, not when we can build a fire inside."**

**I gave a last, wistful glance at the frozen pond and then followed the others inside. **

"What you wanted to ice skate?" Lissa questioned me. I nod, knowing what my answer would've been, if she asked me in the future.

"I didn't even know you knew how."

I smiled at her. "Before I met you and actually started spending Christmas with you guys. Every winter I spent at Campus. Albert, saw me staring at a frozen pond, similar to that one and thought me how."

"Oh, that was nice of her." I nod.

**The cabin was pretty bare, covered in layers of dust and dirt. It consisted of only one room. There was a narrow bed with no covers in the corner and a few shelves where food had probably once been stored. There was a fireplace, however, and we soon had a blaze going that warmed the small area. The five of us sat down, huddling around its heat, and Tasha produced a bag of marshmallows that we cooked over the flames. **

"That sounds good right about now." I moaned.

"Rose, we just ate."

"Don't care."

**As we feasted on that gooey goodness, Lissa and Christian talked to each other in that easy, comfortable way they always had. To my surprise, Tasha and Dimitri also talked in a familiar and light way. They obviously knew each other from way back when. I'd actually never seen him so animated before. Even when affectionate with me, there'd always been a serious air about him. With Tasha, he bantered and laughed. **

"That's because they're old friends." Ivan said a loud; everyone seemed to be thinking the same thing as me in the book. He was pretty much, the same way now. Antisocial and serious all the time, though if you catch him with Ivan certain times he had a free air about him.

**The more I listened to her, the more I liked her. Finally, unable to stay out of the conversation, I asked, "So are you coming on the ski trip?"**

**She nodded. Stifling a yawn, she stretched herself out like a cat. "I haven't been skiing in ages. No time. Been saving all my vacation for this." **

**"Vacation?" I gave her a curious look. "Do you have...A job?"**

"Yeah, she loves it." Christian said aloud, seeming in deep thought about something.

**"Sadly, yes," Tasha said, though she didn't actually sound very sad about it. "I teach martial arts classes. "**

**I stared in astonishment. I couldn't have been more surprised if she'd said she was an astronaut or a telephone psychic. **

Everyone laughs, even I cracked a smile. I knew how to make people laugh and I actually kind of liked it.

**A lot of royals just didn't work at all, and if they did, it was usually in some sort of investment or other moneymaking business that furthered their family fortunes. And those who did work certainly didn't do a lot of martial arts or physically demanding jobs. Moroi had a lot of great attributes: exceptional senses-smell, sight, and hearing-and the power to work magic. But physically, they were tall and slender, often small-boned. They also got weak from being in sunlight. Now, those things weren't enough to prevent someone from becoming a fighter, but they did make it more challenging. An idea had built up among the Moroi over time that their best offense was a good defense, and most shied away from the thought of physical conflict. They hid in well-protected places like the Academy, always relying on stronger, hardier dhampirs to guard them. **

Lissa sighed. She had already made it known she did not like the way dhampirs were treated. Like, they relied on us to protect them and risk our lives. Even though she though Moroi powers should be a peaceful use to it, she did not like how they practically refused to protect themselves as well.

**"What do you think, Rose?" Christian seemed highly amused by my surprise. "Think you could take her?"**

**"Hard to say," I said. **

**Tasha crooked me a grin. "You're being modest. I've seen what you guys can do. This is just a hobby I picked up."**

**Dimitri chuckled. "Now you're being modest. You could teach half the classes around here."**

**"Not likely," she said. "It'd be pretty embarrassing to be beaten up by a bunch of teenagers."**

**"I don't think that'd happen," he said. "I seem to remember you doing some damage to Neil Szelsky. "**

**Tasha rolled her eyes. "Throwing my drink in his face wasn't actually damage-unless you consider the damage it did to his suit. And we all know how he is about his clothes."**

**They both laughed at some private joke the rest of us weren't in on, but I was only half-listening. I was still intrigued about her role with the Strigoi. **

**The self-control I'd tried to maintain finally slipped. **

"I am amazed she even lasted this long." Andre joked. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Maybe I should start learning now." I pretended to think about it, and nod. "You'll be my first tester. Let's see how long it takes for me to punch you in your face."

The smirk on his face vanished quickly and he looked slightly panic. Mason, Eddie, Christian, Ivan and Lissa laughed while Eric and Abe looked highly amused, even Rhea was fighting a smile.

**"Did you start learning to fight before or after that happened to your face?"**

"Rose!" Lissa looked appalled that I would be that blunt in asking.

"What, I get to the point. There is absolutely no reason, this time, to beat around the bush to get an answer." I defended, Christian did not even looked bothered by book me asking.

**"Rose!" hissed Lissa. **

**But Tasha didn't seem upset. Neither did Christian, and he usually grew uncomfortable when the attack with his parents was brought up. She regarded me with a level, thoughtful look. It reminded me of the one I sometimes got from Dimitri if I did something surprising that he approved of. **

"Aunt Tasha likes it when people plain asks her, instead of talk behind her back." Christian told everyone.

**"After," she said. She didn't lower her gaze or look embarrassed, though I sensed sadness in her. "How much do you know?"**

**I glanced at Christian. "The basics."**

**She nodded. "I knew ... I knew what Lucas and Moira had become, but that still didn't prepare me. Mentally, physically, or emotionally. I think if I had to live through it again, I still wouldn't be ready. But after that night, I looked at myself- figuratively-and realized how defenseless I was. I'd spent my whole life expecting guardians to protect me and take care of me. **

**"And that's not to say the guardians aren't capable. Like I said, you could probably take me in a fight. But they-Lucas and Moira-cut down our two guardians before we realized what had happened. I stalled them from taking Christian- but just barely. If the others hadn't shown up, I'd be dead, and he'd-" She stopped, frowned, and kept going. "I decided that I didn't want to die that way, not without putting up a real fight and doing everything I could to protect myself and those I love. So I learned all sorts of self-defense. And after a while, I didn't really, uh, fit in so well with high society around here. So I moved to Minneapolis and made a living from teaching others."**

"Why, Minneapolis?" Lissa turned to Christian.

"It's probably in the book. If not I'll tell you." Was all he had said, she nods and turned her attention to my mother who was reading, before anyone could ask another question about what happened with his parents or aunt.

**I didn't doubt there were other Moroi living in Minneapolis-though God only knew why-but I could read between the lines. She'd moved there and integrated herself with humans, keeping away from other vampires like Lissa and I had for two years. I started to wonder also if there might have been something else there between the lines. She'd said she'd learned "all sorts of self-defense"-apparently, more than just martial arts. Going along with their offense-defense beliefs, the Moroi didn't think magic should be used as a weapon. Long ago, it had been used that way, and some Moroi still secretly did today. Christian, I knew, was one of them. I suddenly had a good idea of where he might have picked up that kind of thing. **

Christian nods. "My aunt doesn't want me to be defenseless."

**Silence fell. It was hard to follow up a sad story like that. But Tasha, I realized, was one of those people who could always lighten a mood. It made me like her even more, and she spent the rest of the time telling us funny stories. She didn't put on airs like a lot of royals did, so she had lots of dirt on everyone. Dimitri knew a lot of the people she spoke of- honestly, how did someone so antisocial seem to know everyone in Moroi and guardian society?**

Everyone laughed, seeming the silently agree with that question or rather statement. Dimitri just rolled his eyes and sighed.

**And would occasionally add some small detail. They had us in hysterics until Tasha finally looked at her watch. **

**"Where's the best place a girl can go shopping around here?" she asked. **

**Lissa and I exchanged looks. "Missoula," we said in unison. **

**Tasha sighed. "That's a couple hours away, but if I leave soon, I can probably still get in some time before the stores close. I'm hopelessly behind in Christmas shopping. "**

**I groaned. "I'd kill to go shopping."**

**"Me too, " said Lissa. **

**"Maybe we could sneak along..." I gave Dimitri a hopeful look. **

"He's going to say no." Ivan sadly smiled at me; I grinned but rolled my eyes at him. He seemed to be the only one okay with Dimitri and me loving each other in the future. Maybe it was because they were best friends and Ivan wanted his friend to find love. On the other hand, wanted what was best for Dimitri, not getting cocky, but I am the best. Or so to speak in the future for Dimitri. I have yet seen any type of couple who was able to see what was on each other's mind. Even if it was in the future, I could not even if that happening to me.

"He better say no." My mother told the book.

**"No," he said immediately. I gave a sigh of my own. **

Jill giggled. "Denying a girl to go shopping is not a good way to get on her to be nice to list."

"Especially Rose." Eddie piped in. I rolled my eyes at the two of them.

**Tasha yawned again. "I'll have to grab some coffee, so I don't sleep on the drive in."**

**"Can't one of your guardians drive for you?"**

"She doesn't have any Rose." Christian told me.

**She shook her head. "I don't have any."**

"**Don't have any..." I frowned, parsing her words. "You don't have any guardians?"**

**"Nope."**

**I shot up. "But that's not possible! You're royal. You should have at least one. Two, really." **

**Guardians were distributed among Moroi in a cryptic, micromanaged way by the Guardian Council. It was kind of an unfair system, considering the ratio of guardians to Moroi. Non-royals tended to get them by a lottery system. Royals always got them. High-ranking royals often got more than one, but even the lowest-ranking member of royalty wouldn't have been without one. **

**"The Ozeras aren't exactly first in line when guardians get assigned," said Christian bitterly. "Ever since...My parents died...There's kind of been a shortage."**

"That's just plain stupid." Mia and Jill said loud then looked shook at each other's words. Christian shrugs as if it was no big deal.

**My anger flared up. "But that's not fair. They can't punish you for what your parents did."**

**"It's not punishment, Rose." Tasha didn't seem nearly as enraged as she should have been, in my opinion. "It's just... A rearranging of priorities."**

**"They're leaving you defenseless. You can't go out there by yourself!"**

**"I'm not defenseless, Rose. I've told you that. And if I really wanted a guardian, I could make a nuisance of myself, but it's a lot of hassle. I'm fine for now. "**

**Dimitri glanced over at her. "You want me to go with you?"**

Ivan sighed. "Dimitri to the rescue!" He pretended to be ecstatic about Dimitri wanting to help Tasha. However, for some reason, I knew Ivan did not like her to an extent. I have noticed that since we had discovered it was Tasha in the book. Ivan had this look of displeasure from the moment she was mentioned, unless he was talking to me or she was not mentioned.

**"And keep you up all night?" Tasha shook her head. "I wouldn't do that to you, Dimka."**

**"He doesn't mind," I said quickly, excited about this solution. **

"I can't believe you answered for him." Lissa looked shocked, while I huffed but said nothing; I was not even sure why I answered for him.

**Dimitri seemed amused by me speaking for him, but he didn't contradict me. "I really don't."**

"See he won't mind." I gestured to the book; Lissa rolled her eyes at me.

"You didn't know that."

**She hesitated. "All right. But we should probably go soon."**

**Our illicit party dispersed. The Moroi went one direction; Dimitri and I went another. He and Tasha made plans to meet up in a half hour. **

**"So what do you think of her?" he asked when we were alone. **

"Why are you even asking?" Andre asked the book.

"Rose said she thought her mom did it for the marks. Tasha _had_ to fight for her family. I was probably pointing that out to correspond with her mother." Dimitri answered.

**"I like her. She's cool." I thought about her for a moment. "And I get what you mean about the marks."**

Dimitri gave Andre a look that I knew meant 'see?'

**"Oh?"**

**I nodded, watching my footing as we walked along the paths. Even when salted and shoveled, they could still collect hidden patches of ice. **

**"She didn't do what she did for glory. She did it because she had to. Just like... Just like my mom did." I hated to admit it, but it was true. Janine Hathaway might be the worst mother ever, but she was a great guardian. "The marks don't matter. Molnijas or scars. "**

**"You're a fast learner," he said with approval. **

**I swelled under his praise. "Why does she call you Dimka?"**

Dimitri laughed, but did not answer the question, knowing the answer would be in the book most likely.

**He laughed softly. I'd heard a lot of his laughter tonight and decided I'd like to hear more of it. **

**"It's a nickname for Dimitri."**

"That's a weird nickname." Lissa told him. Dimitri said nothing to this.

**"That doesn't make any sense. It doesn't sound anything like Dimitri. You should be called, I don't know, Dimi or something. "**

**"That's not how it works in Russian," he said. **

**"Russian's weird," **

A few of the people in the room that only spoke English and not Russian nod their agreement.

**In Russian, the nickname for Vasilisa was Vasya, which made no sense to me. **

"I stand corrected, _that_ sounds weird." Lissa said, with displeasure.

**"So is English."**

**I gave him a sly look. "If you'd teach me to swear in Russian, I might have a new appreciation for it."**

"You swear too much already Rose." Rhea shook her head.

**"You swear too much already." **

"**Just want to express myself."**

"You express yourself a lot then." Mason said, laughing. I hit him, hard, on the shoulder, which stopped the laughing.

**"Oh, Roza..." He sighed, and I felt a thrill tickle me. "Roza" was my name in Russian. He rarely used it. "You express yourself more than anyone else I know."**

**I smiled and walked on a bit without saying anything else. My heart skipped a beat, I was so happy to be around him. There was something warm and right about us being together. **

**Even as I floated along, my mind churned over something else that I'd been thinking about. "You know, there's something funny about Tasha's scars."**

"There is nothing funny about her scars Rose." My mother sighed.

"I am pretty sure, I didn't mean it that way."

**"What's that?" he asked. **

**"The scars... They mess up her face," I began slowly. I was having trouble putting my thoughts into words. "I mean, it's obvious she used to be really pretty. But even with the scars now ... I don't know. She's pretty in a different way. It's like... Like they're part of her. They complete her." It sounded silly, but it was true. **

"She wasn't like that at first." Ivan sighed. "She doesn't want to go anywhere or do anything. It took Dimitri and I along with some of our friends to convince her she still looked beautiful."

**Dimitri didn't say anything, but he gave me a sidelong glance. I returned it, and as our eyes met, I saw the briefest glimpse of the old attraction. It was fleeting and gone too soon, but I'd seen it. Pride and approval replaced it, and they were almost as good. **

**When he spoke, it was to echo his earlier thoughts. "You're a fast learner, Roza."**

Mom handed the book to Abe, flipping to the next page he sat back. Propping the book on his cross leg before he began.


	8. Reading Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy; Frostbite**

Reading Chapter 6

Mom handed the book to Abe, flipping to the next page he sat back. Propping the book on his cross leg before he began.

_**Chapter Six**_

**I was feeling pretty good about life when I headed to my before-school practice the next day. The secret gathering last night had been super fun, and I felt proudly responsible for fighting the system and encouraging Dimitri to go with Tasha. **

"Why do I have a feeling that is going to back fire?" Andre asked.

"Because it just might. Things tend to go wrong, if I am happy for too long in these books." I sighed.

**Better still, I'd gotten my first crack at a silver stake yesterday and had proven I could handle one. High on myself, I couldn't wait to practice even more. **

**Once I was dressed in my usual workout attire, I practically skipped down to the gym. But when I stuck my head inside the practice room from the day before, I found it dark and quiet. Flipping on the light, I peered around just in case Dimitri was conducting some kind of weird, covert training exercise. Nope. Empty. No staking today. **

"No practice?" Mason asked confused. I was equally confused as well as a few others.

**"Shit," I muttered. **

**"He's not here." I yelped and nearly jumped ten feet in the air. Turning around, I looked straight into my mother's narrowed brown eyes. **

"Uh oh." Lissa murmured.

**"What are you doing here?" As soon as the words were out of my mouth, her appearance registered with me. A stretchy spandex shirt with short sleeves. Loose, drawstring workout pants similar to the ones I wore. "Shit," I said again. **

"So, practice with your mom." Andre smirked. "This will be interesting."

**"Watch your mouth," she snapped. "You might behave like you have no manners, but at least try not to sound that way."**

**"Where's Dimitri?"**

**"**_**Guardian Belikov**_** is in bed. He just got back a couple of hours ago and needed to sleep."**

**Another expletive was on my lips, and I bit it back. Of course Dimitri was asleep. He'd had to drive with Tasha to Missoula during daylight in order to be there during human shopping hours. He'd technically been up all of the Academy's night and had probably only just gotten back. Ugh. I wouldn't have been so quick to encourage him to help her if I'd known it'd result in this. **

The room filled with chuckles.

**"Well," I said hastily. "I guess that means practice is canceled-"**

**"Be quiet and put these on." She handed me some training mitts. **

"Sparing?" I questioned, though I did not really have to. "I have a bad feeling about this." I whispered to no one in particular.

**They were similar to boxing gloves but not as thick and bulky. They shared the same purpose, however: to protect your hands and keep you from gouging your opponent with your nails. **

**"We've been working on silver stakes," I said sulkily shoving my hands into the mitts. **

"I think it's a good thing you're not that day." Rhea told me.

**"Well, today we're doing this. Come on."**

**Wishing I'd been hit by a bus on my walk from the dorm today, I followed her out toward the center of the gym. Her curly hair was pinned up to stay out of the way, revealing the back of her neck. The skin there was covered in tattoos. The top one was a serpentine line: the promise mark, given when guardians graduated from academies like St. Vladimir's and agreed to serve. Below that were the molnija marks awarded each time a guardian killed a Strigoi. They were shaped like the lightning bolts they took their name from. I couldn't gauge exact numbers, but let's just say it was a wonder my mom had any neck left to tattoo. She'd wielded a lot of death in her time. **

**When she reached the spot she wanted, she turned toward me and adopted an attack stance. Half expecting her to jump me then and there, I quickly mirrored it. **

"I wouldn't just attack you Rose." My mom sighed, exasperated.

**"What are we doing?" I asked. **

**"Basic offensive and defensive parrying. Use the red lines."**

**"That's all?" I asked. **

**She leapt toward me. I dodged-just barely-and tripped over my own feet in the process. Hastily, I righted myself. **

**"Well," she said in a voice that almost sounded sarcastic. "As you seem so keen on reminding me, I haven't seen you in five years. I have no idea what you can do."**

"Simply watching me in a class would've done that." I told book mom. "Or trying to be civil, though, that might not work." I turned to 'real life' mom.

**She moved on me again, and again I just barely kept within the lines in escaping her. That quickly became the pattern. She never really gave me the chance to go on the offensive. Or maybe I just didn't have the skills to take the offensive. I spent all my time defending myself-physically, at least. Grudgingly, I had to acknowledge to myself that she was good. Really good. But I certainly wasn't going to tell her that. **

**"So, what?" I asked. "This is your way of making up for maternal negligence?"**

Lissa sighed, but said nothing.

**"This is my way of making you get rid of that chip on your shoulder. You've had nothing but attitude for me since I arrived. You want to fight?" Her fist shot out and connected with my arm. "Then we'll fight. Point."**

"**Point," I conceded, backing up to my side. "I don't want to fight. I've just been trying to talk to you."**

"She has," Rhea nods. "She just has a weird way of 'talking.'"

**"Mouthing off to me in class isn't what I'd really call talking. Point."**

**I grunted from the hit. When I'd first begun training with Dimitri, I'd complained that it wasn't fair for me to fight someone a foot taller than me. He'd pointed out that I'd fight plenty of Strigoi taller than me and that the old adage was true: size doesn't matter. Sometimes I thought it was giving me false hope, but judging from my mom's performance here, I was starting to believe him. **

**I'd never actually fought anyone smaller than me. **

"Because _I am_, usually the smallest." I mumbled.

**As one of the few girls in the novice classes, I accepted that I was almost always going to be shorter and slimmer than my opponents. But my mother was smaller still and clearly had nothing but muscle packed into her petite body. **

**"I have a unique style of communication, that's all," I said. **

Almost everyone who has known me, nods their heads in agreement.

**"You have a petty teenage delusion that you've somehow been wronged for the last seventeen years." Her foot hit my thigh. "Point. When in reality, you've been treated no differently than any other dhampir. Better, actually. I could have sent you of to live with my cousins. You want to be a blood whore? Is that what you wanted?"**

**The term "blood whore" always made me flinch. It was a term often applied to the single dhampir mothers who decided to raise their children instead of becoming guardians. These women often had short-term affairs with Moroi men and were looked down on for it-even though there wasn't really anything else they could have done, since Moroi men usually ended up marrying Moroi women. The "blood whore" term came from the fact that some dhampir women let men drink blood from them during sex. In our world, only humans gave blood. A dhampir doing it was dirty and kinky-especially during sex. I suspected only a few dhampir women actually did this, but unfairly, the term tended to get applied to all of them. I had given blood to Lissa when we had run away, and although it had been a necessary act, the stigma still stayed with me. **

I sighed, already getting tired of this fight.

"**No. Of course I don't want to be a blood whore." My breathing was becoming heavy. "And they're not all like that. There're only a few that actually are."**

**"They bring that reputation on themselves," she growled. I dodged her strike. "They should be doing their duty as guardians, not continuing to fool around and have flings with Moroi."**

**"They're raising their children," I grunted. I wanted to yell but couldn't waste the oxygen. "Something you'd know nothing about. Besides, aren't you the same as they are? I don't see a ring on your finger. Wasn't my dad just a fling for you?"**

Slightly alarmed, I put on my mask and listened to Abe reading the book. No one really interrupted his reading.

**Her face turned hard, which is saying something when you're already beating up your daughter. "That," she said tightly, "is something you know nothing about. Point. "**

**I winced at the blow but was happy to see I'd struck a nerve. **

"Which you shouldn't have let her known. Now she'll use it against you." Eddie commented, looking at my mother. My mother looks around the room- to the people who knows me- to see them all nodding.

"She has an act of using what you drives you crazy against you. Usually until she gets what she wants from you." Eric, added, shaking his head. Abe glanced up, smirking, before looking at the book.

**I had no clue who my dad was. **

Know I do. I almost smiled at the thought.

**The only bit of information I had was that he was Turkish. I might have my mom's curvy figure and pretty face-though I could smugly say mine was much prettier than hers nowadays-but the rest of my coloring was from him. Lightly tanned skin with dark hair and eyes. **

I can see that, now, I was like a girl version of my father. Younger and stronger version, also. In addition, hidden features from my mother that makes me slightly different from him as well.

**"How'd it happen?" I asked. "Were you on some assignment in Turkey? Meet him at a local bazaar? Or was it even cheaper than that? Did you go all Darwin and select the guy most likely to pass on warrior genes to your offspring? I mean, I know you only had me because it was your duty, so I suppose you had to make sure you could give the guardians the best specimen you could."**

"You're taking it a little far Rose." Lissa whispered in my ear.

"I am pissing her off; I am just going to keep going." I whispered back.

**"Rosemarie," she warned through gritted teeth, "for once in your life, shut up."**

**"Why? Am I tarnishing your precious reputation? It's just like you told me: you aren't any different from any other dhampir either. You just screwed him and-" There's a reason they say, "Pride goeth before a fall."**

"Oh no." Lissa piped in once again, looking worrying between my mother and me.

**I was so caught up in my own cocky triumph that I stopped paying attention to my feet. I was too close to the red line. Going outside of it was another point for her, so I scrambled to stay within and dodge her at the same time. Unfortunately, only one of those could work. Her fist came flying at me, fast and hard-and, perhaps most importantly, a bit higher than the permissable according to rules of this kind of exercise. It smacked me in the face with the power of a small truck, and I flew backward, hitting the hard gym floor back-first and head-second. And I was out of the lines. Damn it. **

"_Love. _That you worried about being out of bounds, instead of your own mother just punching the crap out of you." Adrian commented and adding empathizes on the love.

**Pain cracked through the back of my head, and my vision went blurry and sparkly. Within seconds, my mother was leaning over me. **

**"Rose? Rose? Are you okay?" Her voice sounded hoarse and frantic. The world swam. **

**At some point after that, other people came, and I somehow wound up in the Academy's med clinic. **

"Jesus. How hard did you hit her?" Jill asked. My mother just shrugged to that answer, as if she knew how hard is will hit me.

**There, someone shone a light in my eyes and started asking me incredibly idiotic questions. **

**"What's your name?" **

**"What?" I asked, squinting at the light. **

**"Your name." I recognized Dr. Olendzki peering over me. **

**"You know my name."**

**"I want you to tell me."**

**"Rose. Rose Hathaway." **

Rose Hathaway-_Mazur_, I added in my head. I had no idea why I added my father's name to it, but I actually rather liked it. Not that I was going to telling anyone that, nor will I really be establish by that name.

**"Do you know your birthday?"**

**"Of course I do. Why are you asking me such stupid things? Did you lose my records?"**

A few of my friends laughed at the comment. I must agree it was funny.

**Dr. Olendzki gave an exasperated sigh and walked off, taking the annoying light with her. "I think she's fine," I heard her tell someone. "I want to keep her here for the school day, just to make sure she doesn't have a concussion. I certainly don't want her anywhere near her guardian classes."**

**I spent the day moving in and out of sleep because Dr. Olendzki kept waking me up to do her tests. She also gave me an ice pack and told me to keep it close to my face. When the Academy's classes let out, she deemed me well enough to leave. **

**"I swear, Rose, I think you should have a frequent patient's card." There was a small smile on her face. "Short of those with chronic problems like allergies and asthma, I don't think there's any other student I've seen here so often in such a short period of time."**

"Rose does always seem to be in the infirmary." Eddie nods to himself at his own comment.

"'cuse me for fighting." I remarked.

**"Thanks," I said, not really sure I wanted the honor. "So, no concussion?"**

**She shook her head. "No. You're going to have some pain, though. I'll give you something for that before you go. " Her smile faded, and suddenly she looked nervous. "To be honest, Rose, I think most of the damage happened to, well, your face."**

Abe stopped to look at my mother. "Janine, please tell me you just didn't give our daughter a black eye."

"It's in the future." Mom defended. "I don't know."

**I shot up from the bed. "What do you mean 'most of the damage happened to my face'?"**

**She gestured to the mirror above the sink on the far side of the room. I ran over to it and looked at my reflection. **

**"Son of a bitch!"**

My mom sighed. Letting me know she was not glad about my choice of wording. I wish she would give it up already.

**Purplish red splotches covered the upper portion of the left side of my face, particularly near the eye. Desperately, I turned around to face her. **

**"This is going to go away soon, right? If I keep the ice on it?"**

"It'll help the swelling go down, but you'll still have the black eye." Dimitri told me, shaking his head.

**She shook her head again. "The ice can help... But I'm afraid you're going to have a wicked black eye. It'll probably be at its worst tomorrow but should clear up in a week or so. You'll be back to normal before long."**

**I left the clinic in a daze that had nothing to do with my head injury. Clear up in a week or so? How could Dr. Olendzki speak so lightly about this? Didn't she realize what was happening? I was going to look like a mutant for Christmas and most of the ski trip. I had a black eye. A freaking black eye.**

**And my mother had given it to me.**

Abe shook his head and passed the book over to Mia. Mia, who was now, looking very smug. I clinch my jaw shut and refused to let that look get to me. With great restraint it worked.


	9. Reading Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy; Frostbite.**

Reading Chapter 7

_Mia looking_ very smug, now. I clinch my jaw shut and refused to let that look get to me. With great restraint it worked. Propping the book on her knees…

**Chapter Seven**

**I angrily pushed through the double doors that led into the Moroi dorm. Snow swirled in behind me, and a few people lingering on the main floor glanced up upon my entrance. Not surprisingly, several of them did double takes. **

I sighed, more unwanted attention.

**Swallowing, I forced myself not to react. It would be okay. No need to freak out. Novices got injured all the time. **

"True, but not you Rose." Eddie told me, seriously.

"I know."

**It was actually rarer not to get injured. Admittedly, this was a more noticeable injury than most, but I could live with it until it healed, right? And it wasn't like anyone would know how I'd received it. **

**"Hey Rose, is it true your own mother punched you?"**

"Ten dollars it's Mia." I said, aloud. Nobody took the chance to dought me.

**I froze. I'd know that taunting soprano voice anywhere. Turning slowly, I looked into the deep blue eyes of Mia Rinaldi. Curly blond hair framed a face that might have been cute if not for the malicious smirk on it. **

**A year younger than us, Mia'd taken on Lissa (and me by default) in a war to see who could tear apart the other's life most quickly-a war, I should add, that she started. It had involved her stealing Lissa's ex-boyfriend-despite the fact Lissa had decided in the end she didn't want him-and the spreading of all sorts of rumors. **

**Admittedly, Mia's hatred hadn't been entirely unjustified. **

A few of us nod in agreement.

**Lissa's older brother, Andre-who had been killed in the same car accident that technically "killed" me-had used Mia pretty badly when she was a freshman. If she weren't such a bitch now, I would have felt sorry for her. It had been wrong of him, and while I could understand her anger, I don't know that it was fair of her to take that out on Lissa in the way she did. **

Andre nods his head in agreement.

**Lissa and I had technically won the war in the end, but Mia had inexplicably bounced back. She didn't run with the same elite that she once had, but she had rebuilt a small contingent of friends. Malicious or not, strong leaders always attract followers. **

**I'd found that about 90 percent of the time, the most effective response was to ignore her. But we had just crossed over to the other 10 percent, because it's impossible to ignore someone announcing to the world that your mother just punched you-even if it was true. **

"You're just asking to get punched in the face, again, aren't you?" Mason asked Mia. Mia didn't answer.

**I stopped walking and turned around. Mia stood near a vending machine, knowing she'd drawn me out. I didn't bother asking how she'd found out about my mother giving me the black eye. Things rarely stayed secret around here. When she caught full sight of my face, her eyes widened in unabashed delight. "Wow. Talk about a face only a mother could love." **

How cute. I thought. Trying to play with the big girls.

**Ha. Cute. From anyone else, I would have applauded the joke. **

**"Well, you're the expert on face injury," I said. "How's your nose?"**

Mason, Eddie, Andre, and Christian snickered.

**Mia's icy smile twitched a little, but she didn't back down. I'd broken her nose about a month ago-at a school dance of all places-and while the nose had since healed, it now sat just the tiniest bit askew. Plastic surgery could probably fix it up, but from my understanding of her family's finances, that wasn't possible just now. **

**"It's better," she replied primly. "Fortunately, it was only broken by a psychopathic whore and not anyone actually related to me."**

**I gave her my best psychopathic smile. "Too bad. Family members hit you by accident. Psychopathic whores tend to come back for more. "**

Abe chuckled at the comment and amused by my threat. Contradicting him, mom gave him and me a look. Because, I was laughing as well. Mia looked slightly pale, for a moment.

**Threatening physical violence against her was usually a pretty sound tactic, but we had too many people around right now for that to be a legitimate concern for her. And Mia knew it. Not that I was above attacking someone in this kind of setting-hell, I'd done it lots of times-but I was trying to work on my impulse control lately. **

**"Doesn't look like much of an accident to me," she said. "Don't you guys have rules about face punches? I mean, that looks really far out of bounds."**

**I opened my mouth to tell her off, but nothing came out. She had a point. My injury was far out of bounds; in that sort of combat, you aren't supposed to hit above the neck. This was way above that forbidden line. **

**Mia saw my hesitation,**

Abe tsked. I narrowed my eyes at him.

**and it was like Christmas morning had come a week early for her. Until that moment, I don't think there'd ever been a time in our antagonistic relationship in which she'd rendered me speechless. **

**"Ladies," came a stern, female voice. The Moroi attending the front desk leaned over it and fixed us with a sharp look. "This is a lobby, not a lounge. Either go upstairs or go outside. "**

**For a moment, breaking Mia's nose again sounded like the best idea in the world-to hell with detention or suspension. After a deep breath, I decided retreat was my most dignified action now. I stalked off toward the stairs leading up to the girls' dorm. Over my shoulder, I heard Mia call, "Don't worry, Rose. It'll go away. Besides, it's not your face guys are interested in."**

A few of the younger males 'oh'd' at the comment. I clenched my jaw shut. Opening and closing my fist, trying to control my anger. Though it was in the book, I couldn't help but be pissed off now.

**Thirty seconds later, I beat on Lissa's door so hard, it was a wonder my fist didn't go through the wood. **

"Please don't break my door, Rose." Lissa begged, looking at me with huge puppy dog eyes. I stared at her, the eyes usually worked with her father and brother but never with her mother or me.

"We'll see."

**She opened it slowly and peered around. **

**"Is it just you out here? I thought there was an army at the-oh my God." Her eyebrows shot up when she noticed the left side of my face. "What happened?"**

**"You haven't heard already? You're probably the only one in the school who hasn't," I grumbled. "Just let me in."**

**Sprawling on her bed, I told her about the day's events. She was properly appalled. **

**"I heard you'd been hurt, but I figured it was one of your normal things," she said. **

"What is normal for me, Liss?" I question, but she could not answer because I knew she did not really have an answer.

**I stared up at the spackled ceiling, feeling miserable. "The worst part is, Mia was right. It wasn't an accident."**

**"What, you're saying your mom did it on purpose?" When I didn't answer, Lissa's voice turned incredulous. "Come on, she wouldn't do that. No way. "**

**"Why? Because she's perfect Janine Hathaway, master of controlling her temper? The thing is, she's also perfect Janine Hathaway, master of fighting and controlling her actions. One way or another, she slipped up."**

**"Yeah, well, " said Lissa, "I think her stumbling and missing her punch is more likely than her doing it on purpose. She'd have to really lose her temper. "**

**"Well, she was talking to me.-**

"Very true. Rose tends to piss everyone she talks to off. Either if it's because she wants entertainment or someone else pissed her off and she is talking it out on you." I glared at Eddie. He had pretty much, already, pointed that out.

**That's enough to make anyone lose their temper. And I accused her of sleeping with my dad because he was the soundest evolutionary choice."**

**"Rose," groaned Lissa. "You kind of left out that part in your recap. Why'd you say that to her?"**

**"Because it's probably true."**

**"But you had to know it'd upset her. Why do you keep provoking her? Why can't you just make peace with her?"**

**I sat upright. "Make peace with her? She gave me a black eye. Probably on purpose! How do I make peace with someone like that?"**

"Rose stop being stubborn." Lissa chastised me; I rolled my eyes when she wasn't looking.

**Lissa just shook her head and walked over to the mirror to check her makeup. The feelings coming through our bond were ones of frustration and exasperation. Lingering in the back was a bit of anticipation, too. I had the patience to examine her carefully, now that I'd finished my venting. She had on a silky lavender shirt and a knee-length black skirt. Her long hair had the kind of smooth perfection only achieved by spending an hour of your life on it with a hair dryer and flat iron. **

"Where are you going?" I looked at Lissa, slightly confused. Lissa shrugged.

**"You look nice. What's up?"**

**Her feelings shifted slightly, her irritation with me dimming a little. "I'm meeting Christian soon."**

"Oh no." I groaned, throwing my head back.

**For a few minutes there, it had felt like the old days with Lissa and me. Just us, hanging out and talking. Her mention of Christian, as well as the realization that she'd have to leave me soon for him, stirred up dark feelings in my chest... Feelings I had to reluctantly admit were jealousy. Naturally, I didn't let on to that. **

**"Wow. What'd he do to deserve that? Rescue orphans from a burning building? If so, you might want to make sure he didn't set the building on fire in the first place." Christian's element was fire. It was fitting since it was the most destructive one. **

I smirked in Christian's direction and crossed my arms over my chest. Christian narrowed his eyes at me.

**Laughing, she turned from the mirror and noticed me gently touching my swollen face with my fingers. Her smile turned kind. "It doesn't look that bad."**

**"Whatever. I can tell when you're lying, you know. And Dr. Olendzki says it'll be even worse tomorrow." I lay back down on the bed. "There probably isn't enough concealer in the world to cover this, is there? Tasha and I'll have to invest in some Phantom of the Opera- style masks. "**

Christian laughed. "She'll probably have fun with that." I slightly laughed as well.

**She sighed and sat on the bed near me. "Too bad I can't just heal it."**

**I smiled. "That would be nice."**

**The compulsion and charisma brought on by spirit were great, but really, healing was her coolest ability. The range of things she could achieve was staggering. **

**Lissa was also thinking about what spirit could do. "I wish there were some other way to control the spirit...In a way that still let me use the magic..."**

**"Yeah," I said. I understood her burning desire to do great things and help people. It radiated off of her. Hell, I would also have liked to have this eye cleared up in an instant rather than days. "I wish there were too."**

**She sighed again. "And there's more to me than just wishing I could heal and do other stuff with spirit. I also, well, just miss the magic. It's still there; it's just blocked off by the pills. It's burning inside of me. It wants me, and I want it. But there's a wall between us. You just can't imagine it."**

"You forgot about the bond, Liss." I pointed out to her.

**"I can, actually."**

**It was true. Along with having a general sense for her feelings, I could sometimes also "slip into her." It was hard to explain and ever harder to endure. When that happened, I could literally see through her eyes and feel what she experienced. During those times, I was her. **

"That is just plain creepy." Jill commented.

**Many times, I had been in her head while she longed for the magic, and I'd felt the burning need she spoke of. She often woke up at night, yearning for the power she could no longer reach. **

**"Oh yeah," she said ruefully. "I forget about that sometimes."**

**A sense of bitterness filled her. It wasn't directed at me so much as it was the no-win nature of her situation. Anger sparked inside of her. She didn't like feeling helpless any more than I did. The anger and frustration intensified into something darker and uglier, something I didn't like. **

I furrowed my eyebrows. I did not like the feelings now, either.

**"Hey," I said, touching her arm. "You okay?"**

**She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them. "I just hate it."**

**The intensity of her feelings reminded me of our conversation, the one we'd had just before I went to the Badica house. "You still feel like the pills might be weakening?"**

**"I don't know. A little."**

**"Is it getting worse?"**

**She shook her head. "No. I still can't use the magic. I feel closer to it...But it's still blocked off. "**

**"But you still...Your moods..."**

**"Yeah ...They're acting up. But don't worry," she said, seeing my face. "I'm not seeing things or trying to hurt myself."**

"Good." Her parents nod their heads, approvingly.

**"Good." I was glad to hear it but still worried. Even if she still couldn't touch the magic, I didn't like the idea of her mental state slipping again. Desperately, I hoped the situation would just stabilize on its own. "I'm here," I told her softly, holding her gaze. "If anything happens that's weird...You tell me, okay?"**

**Like that, the dark feelings disappeared within her. As they did, I felt a weird ripple in the bond. I can't explain what it was, but I shuddered from the force. Lissa didn't notice. Her mood perked up again, and she smiled at me. **

That was the second time her dark moods just disappeared. Weird.

**"Thanks," she said. "I will."**

**I smiled, happy to see her back to normal. We lapsed into silence, and for the briefest of moments, I wanted to pour my heart out to her. I'd had so much on my mind lately: my mother, Dimitri, and the Badica house. I'd been keeping those feelings locked up, and they were tearing me apart. Now, feeling so comfortable with Lissa for the first time in a long time, I finally felt that I could let her into my feelings for a change. **

**Before I could open my mouth, I felt her thoughts suddenly shift. They became eager and nervous. She had something she wanted to tell me, something she'd been thinking about intently. So much for pouring my heart out. If she wanted to talk, I wouldn't burden her with my problems, so I pushed them aside and waited for her to speak. **

"Rose," Lissa sighed. "If you want to talk you could've said something." My response was to shrug.

**"I found something in my research with Ms. Carmack. Something strange..."**

**"Oh?" I asked, instantly curious. **

**Moroi usually developed their specialized element during adolescence. After that, they were put into magic classes specific to that element. But as the only spirit user on record at the moment, Lissa didn't really have a class she could join. Most people believed she just hadn't specialized, but she and Ms. Carmack-the magic teacher at St. Vladimir's-had been meeting independently to learn what they could about spirit. They researched both current and old records, checking for clues that might lead to other spirit users, now that they knew some of the telltale signs: an inability to specialize, mental instability, etc. **

**"I didn't find any confirmed spirit users, but I did find... Reports of, um, unexplained phenomena."**

"What would count as unexplained phenomena with us?" Mason asked. Everyone looked like they wanted to know as well.

**I blinked in surprise. "What kind of stuff?" I asked, pondering what would count as "unexplained phenomena" for vampires. **

Great Mason and I think alike. I smiled at the thought.

**When she and I had lived with humans, we would have been considered unexplained phenomena. **

**"They're scattered reports... But, like, I read this one about a guy who could make others see things that weren't there. He could get them to believe they were seeing monsters or other people or whatever. "**

**"That could be compulsion."**

"If its compulsion, they must've been really strong." Andre told his sister.

**"Really powerful compulsion. I couldn't do that, and I'm stronger-or used to be-in it than anyone we know. And that power comes from using spirit..."**

**"So," I finished, "you think this illusion guy must have been a spirit user too." She nodded. "Why not contact him and find out?" **

**"Because there's no information listed! It's secret. And there are others just as strange. Like someone who could physically drain others. People standing nearby would get weak and lose all their strength. They'd pass out. And there was someone else who could stop things in midair when they were thrown at him." Excitement lit up her features. **

**"He could have been an air user," I pointed out. **

"Most likely." Abe said nodding.

**"Maybe," she said. I could feel the curiosity and excitement swirling through her. She desperately wanted to believe there were others out there like her. **

**I smiled. "Who knew? Moroi have Roswell- and Area 51-type stuff. It's a wonder I'm not being studied somewhere to see if they can figure out the bond."**

**Lissa's speculative mood turned teasing. "I wish I could see into your mind sometimes. I'd like to know how you feel about Mason."**

I blinked, and then furrowed my eyebrows. Why would she ask that?

**"He's my friend," I said stoutly, surprised at the abrupt change in subject. "That's it."**

**She tsked. "You used to flirt-and do other stuff-with any guy you could get your hands on."**

"Definitely your father's daughter." Mom said. I was going to comment, but thought better of it. I had no idea in what ways we were alike and what ways we were not.

**"Hey!" I said, offended. "I wasn't that bad."**

**"Okay... Maybe not. But you don't seem interested in guys anymore."**

**I was interested in guys-well, one guy. **

**"Mason's really nice," she continued. "And crazy about you."**

**"He is," I agreed. I thought about Mason, about that brief moment when I'd thought he was sexy outside Stan's class. **

Please do not let this get any more awkward. I silently thought.

**Plus, Mason was really funny, and we got along beautifully. He wasn't a bad prospect as far as boyfriends went. **

**"You guys are a lot alike. You're both doing things you shouldn't."**

**I laughed. That was also true. I recalled Mason's eagerness to take on every Strigoi in the world. I might not be ready for that-despite my outburst in the car-but I shared some of his recklessness. It might be time to give him a shot, I thought. Bantering with him was fun, and it had been a long time since I'd kissed anyone. Dimitri made my heart ache ... But, well, it wasn't like anything else was going on there. **

Most of everyone in the room snorted, I do not know why but Dimitri looked as puzzled as I felt.

**Lissa watched me appraisingly, like she knew what I was thinking-well, aside from the Dimitri stuff. "I heard Meredith say you were an idiot for not going out with him. She said it's because you think you're too good for him."**

**"What! That's not true."**

**"Hey, I didn't say it. Anyway, she said she's thinking of going after him."**

"Meredith?" Mason had a slightly discussed face, but quickly hid it.

**"Mason and Meredith?" I scoffed. "That's a disaster in the making. They have nothing in common." It was petty, but I'd gotten used to Mason always doting on me. Suddenly, the thought of someone else getting him irked me. **

"Geez, Rose. Make up your mind." Andre joked; I narrowed my eyes at him.

**"You're possessive," Lissa said, again guessing my thoughts. No wonder she got so annoyed at me reading her mind. **

**"Only a little."**

**She laughed. "Rose, even if it's not Mason, you really should start dating again. There are lots of guys who would kill to go out with you-guys who are actually nice."**

**I hadn't always made the best choices when it came to men. Once again, the urge to spill all my worries to her seized me. I'd been hesitant to tell her about Dimitri for so long, even though the secret burned inside of me. Sitting with her here reminded me that she was my best friend. I could tell her anything, and she wouldn't judge me. But, just like earlier, I lost the chance to tell her what was on my mind. **

**She glanced over at her alarm clock and suddenly sprang up from the bed. "I'm late! I've got to meet Christian!"**

"Twice in one visit you were going to tell me…. Shows what a good friend I am being." I was not sure how to comment on it, this was in the future.

**Joy filled her, underscored with a bit of nervous anticipation. Love. What could you do? I swallowed back the jealousy that started to raise its ugly head. Once again, Christian had taken her away from me. I wasn't going to be able to unburden myself tonight. **

**Lissa and I left the dorm, and she practically sprinted away, promising we'd talk tomorrow. **

"Someone's eager." Adrian said, making Lissa blush slightly.

**I wandered back to my own dorm. When I got to my room, I passed by my mirror and groaned when I saw my face. Dark purple surrounded my eye. In talking to Lissa, I'd almost forgotten about the whole incident with my mother. Stopping to get a closer look, I stared at my face. Maybe it was egotistical, but I knew I looked good. I wore a C-cup and had a body much coveted in a school where most of the girls were supermodel slim. And as I'd noted earlier, my face was pretty too. On a typical day, I was a nine around here-ten on a very good one. **

Every teenage male, in the room, nod in agreement.

**But today? Yeah. I was practically in negative numbers. I was going to look fabulous for the ski trip. **

**"My mom beat me up," I informed my reflection. It looked back sympathetically. **

**With a sigh, I decided I might as well get ready for bed. There was nothing else I wanted to do tonight, and maybe extra sleep would speed the healing. I went down the hall to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my hair. When I got back to my room, I slipped on my favorite pajamas, and the feel of soft flannel cheered me up a little. **

**I was packing my backpack for the next day when a burst of emotion abruptly shot through my bond with Lissa. It caught me unaware and gave me no chance to fight it. It was like being knocked over by a hurricane-force wind, and suddenly, I was no longer looking at my backpack. I was "inside" Lissa, experiencing her world firsthand. **

**And that's when things got awkward. **

**Because Lissa was with Christian. **

**And things were getting ... Hot.**

"Oh. My. God." Lissa looked panic. I put my hands up in defense when she looked at me.

"Not my fault."

"Please tell me, that we are just making out." She prayed.

"Well, let's find out." Mia passed the book over to Jill. Jill, an eleven year old, looked extremely uncomfortable with what might happen next. I almost waited to save her from reading and read it myself. However, we usually went in a circle then passed it around to who ever wanted to read next.


	10. Reading chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy; Frostbite. **

_Author's note: Oh my God! I am SO sorry I didn't update yesterday. I was in the middle of editing this chapter, when my mom texted me to clean house, then for unknown reason I was extremely happy and blasted my music singing at the top of my lungs and dancing... So I kind of forgot about editing this chapter. However, you'll get two chapters two to make up from it today. _

_BTW. The reviewer that said, if they remember correctly that Jill read the lust charm scene back in Vampire Academy, that was a different plot from this one she technically she is still 'innocent' because it has no connection to this story until I rewrite it to match. _

_Guest Reviews:_

_NML: I _am _doing all six books. For that very reason, no one has really finished any of the books but I do know an author she is on the third book. When will she start posting I have no idea, but its called _book club: _(Then title of the book) She just finished Frostbite one last week. Just look up the author: _Victoria Marie Dragomir

_NL: I am working on it And when I stick to a ' project' I tend to keep it. So you don't have to worry about it. There is a person on here doing Blood promise… It hadn't been updated recently, I think… It's called _Blood Promise read aloud _by _MissHathaway _if you want to hurry and just read that version. They're reading the past._

Reading chapter 8

_After glancing _around nervously, Jill began.

**Chapter Eight**

**Christian was kissing her, and wow, was it a kiss. He wasn't messing around. It was the kind of kiss that small children shouldn't be allowed to see. **

The younger people in the room, started either laughing or chuckling. While Lissa blush got redder and redder and Christian looked smug.

**Hell, it was the kind of kiss no one should be allowed to see-let alone experience through a psychic link. **

"There. Exactly, you should leave." Lissa told book me.

**As I've noted before, strong emotion from Lissa could make this phenomenon happen-the one where I got pulled inside her head. But always, always, it was because of some negative emotion. She'd get upset or angry or depressed, and that would reach out to me. But this time? She wasn't upset. **

**She was happy. Very, very happy. **

"I don't want to hear this." Andre groaned, covering his ears slightly. Eric had his face blank while her mother was looking back and forth between Christian and Lissa. I wanted to laugh, but I knew Lissa was embarrassed enough about making out with Christian and being _really _happy.

**Oh man. I needed to get out of here. **

"See I try." I told her, trying to defuse the awkwardness in the air. It didn't work.

**They were up in the attic of the school's chapel or, as I liked to call it, their love nest. The place had been a regular hangout for them, back when each of them was feeling antisocial and wanted to escape. Eventually, they'd decided to be antisocial together, and one thing had led to another. Since they started publicly dating, I hadn't known they spent much time here anymore. Maybe they were back for old time's sake. **

**And indeed, a celebration did seem to be going on. Little scented candles were set up around the dusty old place, candles that filled the air with the scent of lilacs. I would have been a little nervous about setting all those candles in a confined space filled with flammable boxes and books, but Christian probably figured he could control any accidental infernos. **

**They finally broke that insanely long kiss and pulled back to look at each other. They lay on their sides on the floor. Several blankets had been spread under them. **

"Oh god." Lissa placed her head in her hands, blocking out anyone from seeing her blushing. Christian and I were pretty much the only ones who can see the bright red tint on her cheeks.

**Christian's face was open and tender as he regarded Lissa, his pale blue eyes a glow with some inner emotion. It was different from the way Mason regarded me. There was certainly adoration with him, but Mason's was a lot like when you walk into a church and fall to your knees in awe and fear of something you worship but don't really understand. Christian clearly worshipped Lissa in his way, but there was a knowing glint to his eyes, a sense that the two of them shared an understanding of each other so perfect and powerful that they didn't even need words to convey it. **

**"Don't you think we're going to go to hell for this?" asked Lissa. **

**He reached out and touched her face, trailing his fingers along her cheek and neck and down to the top of her silky shirt. She breathed heavily at that touch, at the way it could be so gentle and small, yet evoke such a strong passion within her. **

Jill paused. "Do we really have to read this?"

"According to the person who kidnapped us yeah. Remembered when we tried to skip over the lust charm with Dimitri and I?" I told her, though I didn't want to hear this myself. Even in the first book, the person on the speaker locked the kitchen and bed rooms doors-how we don't know- until we read it.

Dimitri and I were embarrassed to no end. My parents had looks that were between, wanting to go ahead and kill him and discussed. Until we learned about the Lust Charm, it had cooled things down some, but let's just say I hope nothing like that happens again.

**"For this?" He played with the shirt's edge, letting his finger just barely brush inside of it. **

**"No," she laughed. "For this." She gestured around the attic. "This is a church. We shouldn't be doing this kind of, um, thing up here."**

"I can't believe you're in the church attic." Eddie said, incredulously. "Couldn't you asked Rose for a hide out? I mean, you're in a church." I leaned over and hit Eddie.

"Seriously you had to say that out loud." I moved my eyes to the adults in the room, who could very well tell the guardians and teachers at the school to watch any places. Luckily they were still focused on getting over Lissa and Christian.

**"Not true," he argued. Gently, he pushed her onto her back and leaned over her. "The church is downstairs. This is just storage. God won't mind."**

**"You don't believe in God," she chastised. Her hands made their way down his chest. Her movements were as light and deliberate as his, yet they clearly triggered the same powerful response in him. **

"Please leave rose!" Lissa all but yelled at book Rose. I wanted to point out this was how I felt about Dimitri and my lust charm part in the first book. But I didn't want to drag attention to it. Eric and Andre now had their ears covered as if they were ten years old so they didn't hear about their sister or daughter getting it on with Christian.

**He sighed happily as her hands slid under his shirt and up his stomach. "I'm humoring you."**

**"You'd say anything right now," she accused. Her fingers caught the edge of his shirt and pushed it up. He shifted so she could push it all the way off him and then leaned back over her, bare-chested. **

I made a face, I don't want to see anything of Christian's that I didn't have to. I wanted me to leave, just because of that.

**"You're right," he agreed. He carefully undid one button on her blouse. Just one. Then he again leaned down and gave her one of those hard, deep kisses. When he came up for air, he continued on as though nothing had happened. "Tell me what you need to hear, and I'll say it." He unfastened another button. **

**"There's nothing I need to hear," she laughed. Another button popped free. "You can tell me whatever you want-it'd just be nice if it were true."**

**"The truth, huh? No one wants to hear the truth. The truth is never sexy. But you ..." The last button came undone, and he spread her shirt away. "You are too goddamned sexy to be real."**

I see Christian had a slight redness to his cheeks, and I tried my hardest not to laugh and almost exceed. A chuckle did form though and received a glare from Christian for it.

**His words held his trademark snarky tone, but his eyes conveyed a different message entirely. I was witnessing this scene through Lissa's eyes, but I could imagine what he saw. Her smooth, white skin. Slender waist and hips. A lacy white bra. Through her, I could feel that the lace was itchy, but she didn't care. **

"Can we _please _skip over this?" Lissa pleaded.

"Nope that letter said read the whole book. And we shall read it all." Adrian exclaimed, motioning Jill to keep reading. She was reading as fast as she could. I could tell she was innocent by the red on her cheeks from even reading this.

**Feelings both fond and hungry spread over his features. From within Lissa, I could feel her heart race and breathing quicken. Emotions similar to Christian's clouded all other coherent thoughts. Shifting down, he lay on top of her, pressing their bodies together. His mouth sought hers out again, and as their lips and tongues made contact, I knew I had to get out of there. **

"Please tell me, I didn't _just_ figure out what the hell is going on?"

**Because I understood it now. **

I groaned. I cannot believe that it took me that long.

**I understood why Lissa had dressed up and why the love nest had been decked out like a Yankee Candles showroom. This was it. The moment. After a month of dating, they were going to have sex. **

Even when Eric had his hands over his ears to 'block' out what was going on he still heard. I could tell he had when his face became hard, protective almost. Rhea face quickly changed to impassive after that sentence. I knew that did not want to say anything because they trusted their daughter and they actually liked Christian. I had no idea why they did, though.

**Lissa, I knew, had done it before with a past boyfriend. I didn't know Christian's past, but I sincerely doubted many girls had fallen prey to his abrasive charm. **

**But in feeling what Lissa felt, I could tell that none of that mattered. Not in that moment. In that moment, there were only the two of them and the way they felt about each other right now. And in a life filled with more worries than someone her age should have had, Lissa felt absolutely certain about what she was doing now. It was what she wanted. What she'd wanted for a very long time with him. **

Christian looked quite happy, but then seeming he remembered what was going on, he promptly became slightly embarrassed again. Something told me, he would not be embarrassed by it if her family wasn't here.

**And I had no right to be witnessing it. **

"No, you don't, so please leave." Lissa begged. However, I was pretty sure if I could have already I would've.

**Who was I kidding? I didn't want to witness it. I took no pleasure in watching other people get it on, and I sure as hell didn't want to experience sex with Christian. It'd be like losing my virginity virtually. **

"That's just plain gross." I complained.

**But Jesus Christ, Lissa wasn't making it easy to get out of her head. **

"See it's not all my fault." Lissa just glared at me. Putting my hands up in surrender, but I had a smile on my face at the way she was trying to 'scare' me into shutting up.

**She had no desire to detach from her feelings and emotions, and the stronger they grew, the stronger they held me. Trying to distance myself from her, I focused my energies on coming back to myself, concentrating as hard as I could. **

_**More clothes disappeared... **_

**Come on, come on, I told myself sternly. **

_**The condom came out... Yikes. **_

Lissa buried her head in her hands, again.

**You're your own person, Rose. Get back in your head. **

_**Their limbs intertwined, their bodies moving together ... **_

**Son of a—**

**I ripped out of her and back to myself. **

"Thank god." Lissa breathed. Everyone visibly relaxed, seeing that we did Eric and Andre put down their hands. Eric expression did not change much.

**Once again, I was back in my room, but I no longer had any interest in packing my backpack. My whole world was askew. I felt strange and violated-almost unsure if I was Rose or if I was Lissa. I also felt that resentment toward Christian again. I certainly didn't want to have sex with Lissa, but there was that same pang inside of me, that frustrated feeling that I was no longer the center of her world. **

**Leaving the backpack untouched, I went right to bed, wrapping my arms around myself and curling into a ball to try to squelch the ache within my chest. **

**I fell asleep pretty quickly and woke up early as a result. Usually, I had to be dragged out of bed to go meet Dimitri, but today I showed up early enough that I actually beat him to the gym. **

"Really?" Eddie questioned, unnecessarily.

"Yes. Thanks to Chris and Lissa having sex that night." I was just surprised as he was, but I didn't show it.

**As I waited, I saw Mason cutting across to one of the buildings that held classrooms. **

"Why am I up that early?" Mason questioned.

"You probably had to retake a test." Eddie told him.

**"Whoa," I called. "Since when are you up this early?"**

**"Since I had to retake a math test," he said, walking over to me. **

Eddie laughed. Mason usually had to retake a math test, math wasn't his best subject. He was still better than me in a landslide, I just chose to not to retake it.

**He gave me his mischievous smile. "Might be worth skipping, though, to hang out with you."**

**I laughed, remembering my conversation with Lissa. Yes, there were definitely worse things I could do than flirt and start something with Mason. **

**"Nah. You might get in trouble, then I'd have no real challenge on the slopes."**

**He rolled his eyes, still smiling. "I'm the one with no real challenge, remember?"**

**"You ready to bet on something yet? Or are you still too afraid?"**

**"Watch it," he warned, "or I might take back your Christmas present."**

**"You got me a present?" I hadn't expected that. **

**"Yup. But if you keep back-talking, I might give it to someone else. "**

**"Like Meredith?" I teased. **

**"She isn't even in your league, and you know it."**

Mason nodded, agreeing with his own statement. Meredith was quite good looking actually. Yeah, apparently not in my league, but she could be hot… in her own way.

**"Even with a black eye?" I asked with a grimace. **

**"Even with two black eyes."**

I must be really hot, then. I thought absent-mindedly.

**The look he gave me just then wasn't teasing or even really suggestive. It was just nice. Nice, friendly, and interested. Like he really cared. After all the stress lately, I decided I liked being cared about. And with the neglect I was starting to feel from Lissa, I realized I also kind of liked having someone who wanted to pay so much attention to me. **

**"What are you doing on Christmas?" I asked. **

**He shrugged. "Nothing. My mom almost came down but had to cancel at the last minute... You know, with everything that happened."**

**Mason's mother wasn't a guardian. She was a dhampir who'd chosen to just be domestic and have kids. As a result, I knew he saw her quite a bit. It was ironic, I thought, that my mom actually was here, but for all intents and purposes, she might as well have been somewhere else. **

**"Come hang with me," I said on impulse. "I'll be with Lissa and Christian and his aunt. It'll be fun. "**

**"Really?"**

**"Very fun."**

**"That's not what I was asking about."**

**I grinned. "I know. Just be there, okay?"**

**He swept me one of the gallant bows he liked to make. **

I silently laughed.

**"Absolutely."**

**Mason wandered off just as Dimitri showed up for our practice. Talking to Mason had made me feel giddy and happy; I hadn't thought about my face at all with him. But with Dimitri, I suddenly became self-conscious. **

Ugh!

**I didn't want to be anything less than perfect with him, **

Shit. Nobody needs to know that.

**And as we walked inside, I went out of my way to avert my face so he couldn't look at me full-on. Worrying about that brought my mood down, and as it plummeted, all the other things that had been upsetting me came tumbling back. **

**We returned to the training room with the dummies, and he told me he simply wanted me to practice the maneuvers from two days ago. Happy he wasn't going to bring up the fight, I set to my task with a burning zeal, showing the dummies just what would happen if they messed with Rose Hathaway. I knew my fighting fury was fired up by more than just a simple desire to do well. My feelings were out of control this morning, raw and intense after both the fight with my mother and what I'd witnessed with Lissa and Christian last night. **

"Glad to help." Lissa grumbled.

**Dimitri sat back and watched me, occasionally critiquing my technique and offering suggestions for new tactics. **

**"Your hair's in the way," he said at one point. "Not only are you blocking your peripheral vision, you're running the risk of letting your enemy get a handhold."**

**"If I'm actually in a fight, I'll wear it up." I grunted as I shoved the stake neatly up between the dummy's "ribs." I didn't know what these artificial bones were made of, but they were a bitch to work around. I thought about my mom again and added a little extra force to the jab. "I'm just wearing it down today, that's all."**

**"Rose," he said warningly. Ignoring him, I plunged again. His voice came more sharply the next time he spoke. "Rose. Stop."**

**I backed away from the dummy, surprised to find my breathing labored. I hadn't realized I was working that hard. My back hit the wall. With nowhere to go, I looked away from him, directing my eyes toward the ground. **

**"Look at me," he ordered. **

**"Dimitri-"**

**"**_**Look at me**_**."**

**No matter our close history, he was still my instructor. I couldn't refuse a direct order. **

"Which, is a first." I threw the pillow that I had by my beanbag chair at Andre with enough force it had hurt him. I smiled sweetly at him, when he narrowed his eyes at me.

**Slowly, reluctantly, I turned toward him, still tilting my head slightly down so the hair hung over the sides of my face. Rising from his chair, he walked over and stood before me. **

**I avoided his eyes but saw his hand move forward to brush back my hair. Then it stopped. As did my breathing. Our short-lived attraction had been filled with questions and reservations, but one thing I'd known for sure: Dimitri had loved my hair. Maybe he still loved it. It was great hair, I'll admit. Long and silky and dark. He used to find excuses to touch it, and he'd counseled me against cutting it as so many female guardians did. **

My hair isn't long, well that long. It was about my shoulder blades, in this moment in time.

**His hand hovered there, and the world stood still as I waited to see what he would do. After what seemed like an eternity, he let his hand gradually fall back to his side. Burning disappointment washed over me, yet at the same time, I'd learned something. He'd hesitated. He'd been afraid to touch me, which maybe-just maybe-meant he still wanted to. He'd had to hold himself back. **

**I slowly tipped my head back so that we made eye contact. Most of my hair fell back from my face-but not all. His hand trembled again, and I hoped again he'd reach forward. The hand steadied. My excitement dimmed. **

**"Does it hurt?" he asked. The scent of that aftershave, mingled with his sweat, washed over me. God, I wished he had touched me. **

**"No," I lied. **

"**It doesn't look so bad," he told me. "It'll heal."**

**"I hate her," I said, astonished at just how much venom those three words held. Even while suddenly turned on and wanting Dimitri, I still couldn't drop the grudge I held against my mother. **

**"No, you don't," he said gently.**

**"I do."**

**"You don't have time to hate anyone," he advised, his voice still kind. "Not in our profession. You should make peace with her."**

I almost snorted at the thought, but seeing as my mother was, in fact, in the room with me I reframed from it.

**Lissa had said exactly the same thing. Outrage joined my other emotions. That darkness within me started to unfurl. "Make peace with her? After she gave me a black eye on purpose! Why am I the only one who sees how crazy that is?"**

**"She absolutely did not do it on purpose," he said, voice hard. "No matter how much you resent her, you have to believe that. She wouldn't do that, and anyway, I saw her later that day. She was worried about you."**

**"Probably more worried someone will bring her up on child abuse charges," I grumbled. **

**"Don't you think this is the time of year for forgiveness?"**

"My life isn't a Christmas special." I grumbled.

**I sighed loudly. "This isn't a Christmas special! **

Nice to know, future me thinks the same thing.

**This is my life. In the real world, miracles and goodness just don't happen. "**

**He was still eyeing my calmly. "In the real world, you can make your own miracles."**

**My frustration suddenly hit a breaking point, and I gave up trying to maintain my control. **

"Uh oh." A few people in the room said. I rolled my eyes, as paid attention to Jill.

**I was so tired of being told reasonable, practical things whenever something went wrong in my life. Somewhere in me, I knew Dimitri only wanted to help, but I just wasn't up for the well-meant words. I wanted comfort for my problems. I didn't want to think about what would make me a better person. I wished he'd just hold me and tell me not to worry. **

**"Okay, can you just stop this for once?" I demanded, hands on my hips. **

"Stop what?" A few people in the room commented.

**"Stop what?"**

**"The whole profound Zen crap thing. You don't talk to me like a real person. Everything you say is just some wise, life-lesson nonsense. You really do sound like a Christmas special. " I knew it wasn't entirely fair to take my anger out on him, but I found myself practically shouting. "I swear, sometimes it's just like you want to hear yourself talk! And I know you're not always this way. You were perfectly normal when you talked to Tasha. But with me? You're just going through the motions. You don't care about me. You're just stuck in your stupid mentor role."**

**He stared at me, uncharacteristically surprised. "I don't care about you?"**

**"No. " **

"Yeah right." Ivan said, smirking at me. I rolled my eyes at him.

**I was being petty-very, very petty. And I knew the truth-that he did care and was more than just a mentor. I couldn't help myself, though. It just kept coming and coming. I jabbed his chest with my finger. "I'm another student to you. You just go on and on with your stupid life lessons so that-"**

**The hand I'd hoped would touch my hair suddenly reached out and grabbed my pointing hand. He pinned it to the wall, and I was surprised to see a flare of emotion in his eyes. It wasn't exactly anger... But it was frustration of another kind. **

**"Don't tell me what I'm feeling," he growled. **

**I saw then that half of what I'd said was true. He was almost always calm, always in control-even when fighting. But he'd also told me how he'd once snapped and beaten up his Moroi father. He'd actually been like me once-always on the verge of acting without thinking, doing things he knew he shouldn't. **

Ivan whistled, shaking his head, but smiled at Dimitri who looked slightly troubled that I knew that.

**"That's it, isn't it?" I asked. **

**"What?"**

**"You're always fighting for control. You're the same as me."**

**"No," he said, still obviously worked up. "I've learned my control."**

**Something about this new realization emboldened me. "No," I informed him. "You haven't. You put on a good face, and most of the time you do stay in control. But sometimes you can't. And sometimes..." I leaned forward, lowering my voice. "Sometimes you don't want to."**

**"Rose..."**

**I could see his labored breathing and knew his heart was beating as quickly as mine. And he wasn't pulling away. I knew this was wrong-knew all the logical reasons for us staying apart. But right then, I didn't care. I didn't want to control myself. I didn't want to be good. **

**Before he realized what was happening, I kissed him. **

"Rose," Lissa groaned again. "Will you ever stop trying to push people's boundaries?"

I pretended to think about it. "Nope."

**Our lips met, and when I felt him kiss me back, I knew I was right. He pressed himself closer, trapping me between him and the wall. He kept holding my hand, but his other one snaked behind my head, sliding into my hair. The kiss was filled with so much intensity; it held anger, passion, release... **

**He was the one who broke it. He jerked away from me and took several steps back, looking shaken. **

**"Do not do that again," he said stiffly. **

"Uh. Dimitri, man, you kissed her back." Ivan pointed out.

**"Don't kiss me back then," I retorted. **

Ivan made a face at Dimitri that seemed to say 'see.'

**He stared at me for what seemed like forever. "I don't give 'Zen lessons' to hear myself talk. I don't give them because you're another student. I'm doing this to teach you control."**

You're doing a great job. I thought sarcastically.

**"You're doing a great job," I said bitterly. **

That was weird.

**He closed his eyes for half a second, exhaled, and muttered something in Russian. Without another glance at me, he turned and left the room.**

Jill quickly passed the book to Adrian. Looking at the book like it had a disease, he finally took it.


	11. Reading chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy; Frostbite.**

Reading Chapter 9

_**Chapter Nine **_

Adrian began.

**I didn't see Dimitri for a while after that. **

"Why not, you should be training shouldn't you?" Jill asked confused.

**He'd sent a message later that day saying that he thought we should cancel our next two sessions because of the rapidly approaching plans to leave campus. Classes were about to end anyway, he said; taking a break from practice seemed like the reasonable thing. It was a lame excuse, and I knew that wasn't the reason he was canceling. If he wanted to avoid me, I would have preferred he made up something about how he and the other guardians had to up Moroi security or practice top-secret ninja moves. **

"Ninja moves? Really Rose?" Lissa said laughing and trying to cover it up. I smiled at her and shrug.

"What it is my mind. I am allowed to make it interesting."

**Regardless of his story, I knew he was avoiding me because of the kiss. That damned kiss. I didn't regret it, not exactly. God only knew how much I'd been wanting to kiss him. But I'd done it for the wrong reasons. I'd done it because I was upset and frustrated and had simply wanted to prove that I could. I was so tired of doing the right thing, the smart thing. I was trying to be more in control lately, but I seemed to be slipping. **

**I hadn't forgotten the warning that he'd once given me- that us being together wasn't just about age. It would interfere with our jobs. Pushing him into the kiss... Well, I'd fanned the flames of a problem that could eventually hurt Lissa. I shouldn't have done it. **

"At least you realize that." Mom put her two sense in.

**Yesterday, I'd been unable to stop myself. Today I could see more clearly and couldn't believe what I'd done. Mason met me on Christmas morning, and we went to go hang out with the others. It provided a good opportunity to push Dimitri out of my head. I liked Mason-a lot. And it wasn't like I had to run off and marry him. Like Lissa had said, it would be healthy for me to just date someone again. **

Was I using him? I didn't like that, at all.

**Tasha was hosting our Christmas brunch in an elegant parlor in the Academy's guest quarters. Lots of group activities and parties were occurring throughout the school, but I'd quickly noticed that Tasha's presence always created a disturbance. People either secretly stared or went out of their way to avoid her. Sometimes she would challenge them. Sometimes she would just lie low. Today, she'd chosen to stay out of the other royals' way and simply enjoy this small, private party of those who didn't shun her. **

"Aunt Tasha, likes that. Don't know why." Christian mumbled, most likely to himself.

**Dimitri had been invited to the gathering, and a bit of my resolve faltered when I saw him. He'd actually dressed up for the occasion. Okay, "dressed up" might have been an exaggeration, but it was the closest I'd ever seen him come to that. Usually he just looked a little rough... Like he could spring into battle at any given moment. Today, his dark hair was tied at the back of his neck, as though he'd actually tried to make it neat. He wore his usual jeans and leather boots, but instead of a T-shirt or thermal shirt, he had on a finely knit blacksweater. It was just an ordinary sweater, nothing designer or expensive, but it added a touch of polish I didn't usually see, and good God, did it fit him well. **

My future self needs to shut up. Dimitri is hot, but I couldn't see myself thinking this much about a guy, an older one at that.

**Dimitri wasn't mean to me or anything, but he certainly didn't go out of his way to make conversation with me. He did talk to Tasha, however, and I watched with fascination as they conversed in that easy way of theirs. I'd since learned that a good friend of his was a distant cousin of Tasha's family; that was how the two of them knew each other. **

**"Five?" asked Dimitri in surprise. They were discussing the friend's children. "I hadn't heard that."**

"Kids?" Dimitri and Ivan asked at the same time, apparently they knew who Dimitri and Tasha were talking about.

**Tasha nodded. "It's insane. I swear, I don't think his wife's had more than six months off between kids. She's short, too-so she just gets wider and wider."**

**"When I first met him, he swore he didn't even want kids."**

**Her eyes widened excitedly. "I know! I can't believe it. You should see him now. He just melts around them. I can't even understand him half the time. I swear, he speaks more baby talk than English."**

Ivan and Dimitri laughed. This wasn't the first time, I've heard Dimitri's laugh and I had to agree with myself in the book. I liked it.

"I can't wait to see that."

**Dimitri smiled his rare smile. "Well...Children do that to people."**

**"I can't imagine it happening to you," she laughed. "You're always so stoic. Of course...I suppose you'd be doing baby talk in Russian, so no one would ever know."**

Ivan laughed harder, than ever.

"Holy crap, that'll be so weird." Ivan said between breaths. Dimitri grumbled under his breath.

"Oh, come on what will be the difference? Your kids and when your nephew was a baby?" Dimitri glared at Ivan, while the rest of us laughed. Dimitri was serious, so it would be weird to see that but apparently, his family and Ivan have already seen it with his nephew, I didn't know about.

**They both laughed at that, and I turned away, grateful Mason was there to talk to. He was a good distraction from everything, because in addition to Dimitri ignoring me, Lissa and Christian were chatting on in their own little world too. Sex appeared to have made them that much more in love, and I wondered if I'd get to spend any time with her at all on the ski trip. She did eventually break away from him to give me my Christmas present. **

**I opened the box and stared inside. I saw a string of maroon-colored beads, and the scent of roses floated out. **

**"What the ..."I lifted the beads out, and a heavy gold crucifix swung from the end of them. She'd given me a chotki. It was similar to a rosary, only smaller. Bracelet-size. **

**"Are you trying to convert me?" I asked wryly. Lissa wasn't a religious nut or anything, but she believed in God and attended church regularly. Like many Moroi families who'd come from Russia and Eastern Europe, she was an Orthodox Christian. **

**Me? I was pretty much an Orthodox Agnostic. I figured God probably existed, but I didn't have the time or energy to investigate. Lissa respected that and never tried to push her faith on me, which made the gift that much weirder. **

**"Flip it over," she said, clearly amused at my shock. **

**I did. On the back of the cross, a dragon wreathed in flowers had been carved into the gold. The Dragomir crest. I looked up at her, puzzled. **

Her parents looked thoughtful, before they smiled at each other and seemed to agree on something, unspoken.

**"It's a family heirloom," she said. "One of my dad's good friends has been saving boxes of his stuff. This was in it. It be longed to my great-grandmother's guardian."**

**"Liss..." I said. The chotki took on a whole new meaning. "I can't... You can't give me something like this."**

"Why not?" Lissa turned to me. "It's meant for my guardian. I don't care what people say, you're going to be my guardian." I smiled at her determined look.

**"Well, I certainly can't keep it. It's meant for a guardian. My guardian."**

**I wound the beads around one wrist. The cross felt cool against my skin. **

**"You know," I teased, "there's a good possibility I'll get kicked out of school before I can become your guardian."**

**She grinned. "Well, then you can give it back." **

I laughed. "That is a possibility."

**Everyone laughed. Tasha started to say something, then stopped when she looked up at the door. **

**"Janine!" **

Mom?

**My mother stood there, looking as stiff and impassive as ever. **

**"Sorry I'm late," she said. "I had business to take care of. "**

**Business. As always. Even on Christmas. I felt my stomach turn and heat rise to my cheeks as the details of our fight came rushing back to my mind. She'd never sent one word of communication since it had happened two days ago, not even when I was in the infirmary. No apologies. Nothing. I gritted my teeth. **

Abe turned and looked at my mother. Silently asking why, she didn't give me a response.

**She sat down with us and soon joined in the conversation. I'd long since discovered she could really only talk about one subject: guardian business. I wondered if she had any hobbies. The Badica attack was on everyone's mind, and this drove her into a conversation about some similar fight she'd been in. To my horror, Mason was riveted by her every word. **

**"Well, decapitations aren't as easy as they seem," she said in her matter-of-fact way. I'd never thought they were easy at all, but her tone suggested that she believed everyone thought they were cake. "You've got to get through the spinal cord and tendons."**

Again, Lissa and her mother looked like they were going to be sick. Babies.

**Through the bond, I felt Lissa grow queasy. She wasn't one for gruesome talk. Mason's eyes lit up. "What's the best weapon to do it with?"**

**My mother considered. "An axe. You can get more weight behind it." She made a swinging motion by way of illustration. **

**"Cool," he said. "Man, I hope they let me carry an axe." It was a comical and ludicrous idea, since axes were hardly convenient weapons to carry around. For half a second, the thought of Mason walking down the street with an axe over his shoulder lightened my mood a little. **

I couldn't help it, I giggled as the thought passed through my head. Mason smiled at me.

**The moment quickly passed. **

**I honestly couldn't believe we were having this conversation on Christmas. Her presence had soured everything. Fortunately, the gathering eventually dispersed. Christian and Lissa went off to do their own thing, and Dimitri and Tasha apparently had more catching up to do. Mason and I were well on our way to the dhampir dorm when my mother joined us. **

"Ugh!" Lissa groaned.

**None of us said anything. Stars cluttered the black sky, sharp and bright, their glitter matched in the ice and snow around us. I wore my ivory parka with fake fur trimming. It did a good job keeping my body warm, even though it did nothing against the chilly gusts that seared my face. The whole time we walked, I kept expecting my mother to turn off toward the other guardian areas, but she came right inside the dorm with us. **

**"I've been wanting to talk to you," she finally said. My alarms clicked on. What had I done now? That was all she said, but Mason picked up on the hint immediately. He was neither stupid nor oblivious to social cues, though at that moment, I kind of wished he was. I also found it ironic that he wanted to fight every Strigoi in the world but was afraid of my**

**mother.**

"Everyone in the right mind, would be scared of your mother." I didn't know who said it, but most of everyone agreed with them.

**He glanced at me apologetically, shrugged, and said, "Hey, I've got to get, um, somewhere. I'll see you later."**

"Smooth, Mase." Eddie chuckled.

**I watched with regret as he left, wishing I could run after him. Probably my mom would only tackle me and punch my other eye if I tried to escape. Better to do things her way and get this over with. Shifting uncomfortably, I looked everywhere but at her and waited for her to speak. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a few people glancing over at us. Recalling how everyone in the world seemed to know about her giving me the black eye, I suddenly decided I didn't want witnesses around for whatever lecture she was about to unleash on me. **

**"You want to, um, go to my room?" I asked. **

Everyone looked confused.

**She looked surprised, almost uncertain. "Sure."**

**I led her upstairs, keeping a safe distance away as we walked. Awkward tension built between us. She didn't say anything when we reached my room, but I saw her examine every detail carefully, as though a Strigoi might be lurking in there. I sat on the bed and waited while she paced, unsure what I should do. She ran her fingers over a stack of books on animal behavior and evolution. **

**"Are these for a report?" she asked. **

I shook my head. "No." I answered, before Adrian could read the answer in the book. I knew the answer because I liked that type of stuff.

**"No. I'm just interested in it, that's all. "**

**Her eyebrows rose. She hadn't known that. But how would she? She didn't know anything about me. **

Abe sighed. Shaking his head slightly, I think at my mother's behavior for the past couple years.

**She continued her appraisal, stopping to study little things that apparently surprised her about me. A picture of Lissa and me dressed up like fairies for Halloween. A bag of Sweet Tarts. It was as though my mother were meeting me for the first time. **

Eric, Rhea, Dimitri, and Ivan looked at me with pity. I was too busy staring at my mother, trying not to let any emotion show and held my head high as if it wasn't a big deal.

**Abruptly, she turned and extended her hand toward me. "Here."**

**Startled, I leaned forward and held my palm out underneath hers. Something small and cool dropped into my hand. It was a round pendant, a small one-not much bigger than a dime in diameter. A base of silver held a flat disc of colored glass circles. Frowning, I ran my thumb over its surface. It was strange, but the circles almost made it look like an eye. The inner one was small, just like a pupil. It was so dark blue that it looked black. Surrounding it was a larger circle of pale blue, which was in turn surrounded by a circle of white. A very, very thin ring of that dark blue color circled the outside. **

**"Thanks," I said. I hadn't expected anything from her. The gift was weird-why the hell would she give me an eye?-but it was a gift. **

Abe raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

**"I... I didn't get you anything."**

**My mom nodded, face blank and unconcerned once more. "It's fine. I don't need anything."**

**She turned away again and started walking around the room. She didn't have a lot of space to do it, but her shorter height gave her a smaller stride. Each time she passed in front of the window over my bed, the light would catch her auburn hair and light it up. I watched **

**her curiously and realized she was as nervous as me. **

**She halted in her pacing and glanced back toward me. "How's your eye?"**

**"Getting better." **

**"Good." She opened her mouth, and I had a feeling she was on the verge of apologizing. But she didn't. **

**When she started pacing again, I decided I couldn't stand the inactivity. **

"You always have to be moving." Eric smiled at me, as Rhea mentioned those words. Both adults were smiling at me, I smirked at them.

**I began putting my presents away. I'd gotten a pretty nice haul of stuff this morning. One of them was a silk dress from Tasha, red and embroidered with flowers. My mother watched me hang it in the room's tiny closet. **

**"That was very nice of Tasha."**

**"Yeah," I agreed. "I didn't know she was going to get me anything. I really like her. "**

**"Me too."**

"Hey, look." Andre motioned to the book. "You two agreed on something, that's a start." I rolled my eyes at him.

**I turned from the closet in surprise and stared at my mom. Her astonishment mirrored mine. If I hadn't known any better, I'd have said we'd just agreed on something. Maybe Christmas miracles did happen. **

**"Guardian Belikov will be a good match for her."**

"What?" Dimitri and Ivan questioned, looking confused as everyone else had by the statement.

**"I-" I blinked, not entirely sure what she was talking about. "Dimitri?"**

**"**_**Guardian Belikov**_**," she corrected sternly, still not approving of my casual way of addressing him. **

Might as well get over. I thought.

**"What...What kind of match?" I asked. **

**She raised an eyebrow. "You haven't heard? She's asked him to be her guardian-since she doesn't have one."**

'Oh's' filled the room.

**I felt like I'd been punched again. "But he's... Assigned here. And to Lissa. "**

**"Arrangements can be made. And regardless of the Ozera reputation... She's still royal. If she pushes, she can get her way. "**

"Tasha doesn't like pulling the Royal card." Christian shook his head.

**I stared bleakly into space. "Well, I guess they are friends and everything."**

**"More than that-or possibly could be."**

"Whoa, what?" Ivan exclaimed. Dimitri looked alarmed, even with his mask in place.

**Bam! Punched again. **

Everyone looked confused again. Hell, I was confused again, though I knew pretty sure what that meant.

**"What?"**

**"Hmm? Oh. She's... Interested in him." By my mother's tone, it was clear that romantic matters actually held no interest for her. **

**"She's willing to have dhampir children, so it's possible they might eventually make an, um, arrangement if he were her guardian."**

"That's just gross." Ivan and Christian said at the same time.

**Oh. My. God. **

**Time froze. **

**My heart stopped beating. **

**I realized my mother was waiting for a response. She was leaning against my desk, watching me. She might be able to hunt down Strigoi, but she was oblivious to my feelings. **

**"Is ... Is he going to do it? Be her guardian?" I asked weakly. **

Dimitri shook his head, already telling me, he wouldn't. And for some reason, I was thankful he wouldn't.

**My mom shrugged. "I don't think he's agreed to it yet, but of course he will. It's a great opportunity."**

"It actually is." Abe mused.

**"Of course," I echoed. Why would Dimitri turn down the chance to be a guardian to a friend of his and to have a baby?**

Ivan shook his head. "Doesn't matter if you don't feel the same way." Being best friends, he must've knew that Dimitri didn't like Tasha like that. Again, relief filled my body.

Whoa. Relief?

**I think my mom said something else after that, but I didn't hear it. I didn't hear anything. I kept thinking about Dimitri leaving the Academy, leaving me. I thought about the way he and Tasha had gotten along with each other so well. And then, after those recollections, **

**my imagination started improvising future scenarios. Tasha and Dimitri together. Touching. Kissing. Naked. Other things ... **

"Rose, _I _don't need those images in my head." Christian complained.

**I squeezed my eyes shut for half a second and then opened them. **

**"I'm really tired." **

**My mom stopped mid-sentence. I had no idea what she'd been saying before I interrupted her. **

**"I'm really tired," I repeated. I could hear the hollowness in my own voice. Empty. No emotion. "Thanks for the eye...Um, thing, but if you don't mind..."**

**My mother stared at me in surprise, her features open and confused. Then, just like that, her usual wall of cool professionalism slammed back into place. Until that moment, I hadn't realized how much she'd let it up. But she had. For just a brief time, she'd made**

**herself vulnerable with me. That vulnerability was now gone. **

**"Of course," she said stiffly. "I don't want to bother you."**

"Can't believe you didn't notice, she was hurting." Abe whispered to my mother, but it was still loud enough we had all heard it. I think he meant to say it like that. The comment made my mother put her head down, in…shame?

**I wanted to tell her it wasn't that. I wanted to tell her I wasn't kicking her out for any personal reason. And I wanted to tell her that I wished she were the kind of loving, understanding mother you always hear about, one I could confide in. Maybe even a mother I could discuss my troubled love life with. **

**God. I wished I could tell anyone about that, actually. Especially right now. **

"You can tell me." Lissa nudged my shoulder.

**But I was too caught up in my own personal drama to say a word. I felt like someone had ripped my heart out and tossed it across the other side of the room. There was a burning, agonizing pain in my chest, and I had no idea how it could ever be filled. It was one thing to accept that I couldn't have Dimitri. It was something entirely different to realize someone else could. **

**I didn't say anything else to her because my speech capabilities no longer existed. Fury glinted in her eyes, and her lips flattened out into that tight expression of displeasure she so often wore. Without another word, she turned around and left, slamming the door behind her. That door slam was something I would have done too, actually. I guess we really did share some genes. **

**But I forgot about her almost immediately. I just kept sitting there and thinking. Thinking and imagining. **

**I spent the rest of the day doing little more than that. I skipped dinner. I shed a few tears. **

Ivan hit Dimitri upside the head. I smiled at Ivan, amused.

"You should've told her." Dimitri looked like he was fixing to defend himself, but something in his mind clicked and he shut up.

**But mostly, I just sat on my bed thinking and growing more and more depressed. I also discovered that the only thing worse than imagining Dimitri and Tasha together was remembering when he and I had been together. He would never touch me again like that, never kiss me again... **

**This was the worst Christmas ever.**

Adrian ended each word as to emphasize the sentence so I sounded more like '...Worst. Christmas. Ever.'

Rhea, looked at the clock. I hadn't noticed it had been hours since lunch and it was now dinner.

"I am going to start dinner." She said as she stood up. Everyone followed her to the kitchen; Ivan, Christian, and Dimitri talked about what was for dinner, as Andre began to read the last chapter of the day.


End file.
